MINDEF exercise damages over 200 tonnes of home-grown crops
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200 tonnes of 'dyed' veggies to be dumped
Precautionary move should not affect market prices, says AVA
Sunday Times, The (Singapore)
Prime News, Pg 2
December 2, 2007
Author: Shuli Sudderuddin and Mavis Toh
VEGETABLE farmer Wong Kok Fah is seeing red these days - hard not to, given that the lush crops of kailan, chye sim and Chinese cabbage of farms in the area are being destroyed because of a red dye.
Normally Mr Wong, 45, would be harvesting his prized vegetables but yesterday, he and five workers were disposing of over 200 tonnes of produce from the 3ha he farms.
'It's such a waste,' Mr Wong said. 'Some of the crops are practically ready to eat, but I guess safety is more important.'
Farmers on five other plots were facing the same heartbreaking task, one that will eventually see 200 tonnes of vegetables dumped.
The farm plots in the Lorong Semangka area of Sungei Tengah were collateral damage from a Republic of Singapore Air Force training exercise on Nov 23.
The elite Black Knights aerial display team was testing red dye used to create a plume of smoke from the exhausts of their F-16C jets, but some was blown over crops, trees and vehicles.
Mr Wong discovered the problem last Tuesday when he saw that his farm netting was speckled with red spots.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) stepped in and told farmers on Friday night that all their crops had to be disposed of.
Dr Paul Chew, AVA's deputy director of veterinary public health, said: 'We have to take the precautionary measure...as the dye is not meant for consumption.'
Vegetable prices are not expected to be affected. The 200 tonnes of produce - about 10 lorry loads - that will be incinerated in Tuas comprise less than 1 per cent of Singapore's consumption, said Dr Chew.
Farmer Tan Bock Tat, 40, will lose 1.3ha of crops but he remains business-minded: 'The price of vegetables is very high now and I hope we will be compensated at market rates.'
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We are in direct contact with the affected farms. All reasonable claims...will be considered and compensation paid accordingly.'
Vehicles were also affected. Mr Jason Sia, 29, unemployed, said his white Honda Civic was covered with droplets.
'I might have to polish it, which will cost $60 to $100. Worse still, I might need to repaint it,' he said.
Four other vehicles in the area were also affected.
Mindef has a hotline for queries: 1800-760- 8844.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Safety is uppermost
'It's such a waste. Some of the crops are practically ready to eat, but I guess safety is more important.' FARMER WONG KOK FAH
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Compensation
'We are in direct contact with the affected farms. All reasonable claims...will be considered and compensation paid accordingly.' MINISTRY OF DEFENCE SPOKESMAN
Copyright, 2007, Singapore Press Holdings Limited -
Stupid...
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All reasonable claims...will be considered and compensation paid accordingly.' MINISTRY OF DEFENCE SPOKESMAN
What is considered reasonable??? -
Initially, I thought it was the heavens crying blood tears for Singapoor.
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The chemicals could seep into the soil and affect future crops.
I wouldn't want to consume local vegetables for the time being.
SAF so negligent.
But I forgot, it's SOP.
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I guess this must be another of those indispensable security trade-offs the uninformed would appreciate. After all, I'm sure it says an awful lot about this judicial system when consumer laws are so woefully lacking in safeguarding the interests of those compromised by entities associated with this regime.
Just wondering how many millions in compensation the farmer could potentially be looking at if this case had happened in the US... -
Am sure in times of suddenly happened crisis
they will be ready to handle ? -
I already mentioned long ago, that mishaps will occur over time...
... and how WILLING is the AirForce willing to compensate should one of their jets crashed into a residential buidling??
An appropriate/reasonable amount again?
The people are already struggling to survive in an economical climate created by the government, & they have to further screw people's livelihoods up through carelessness...
... what happened to High Standards of Safety? What happened to their MANY agencies that are closely monitoring such training activities? -
After Day of the Red Dye, Mindef offers:
Straits Times, The (Singapore)
Home, Pg H1
December 4, 2007
Author: David Boey, Defence Correspondent
THE Defence Ministry has rolled out a battle plan to help the people and businesses affected by a plume of red dye released 10 days ago from Tengah Air Base.
The Ministry of Defence said yesterday that it is working out a 'compensation package' for the farmers who have been forced to destroy their vegetables, which were stained by tiny red droplets.
The spots were traced to a dye which was used in a test to create more visually striking red smoke for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) Black Knights aerobatics team, which is preparing for next year's inaugural Singapore Air Show.
Mindef is also tackling the problem on other fronts:
For property owners: A 24-hour toll-free number (1800-760-8844) links them to advice on how to get rid of the dye stains, which appear mostly as pinhead-size dots and cannot be dissolved in water.
For car owners: Mindef personnel will meet the owners of vehicles with 'stubborn stains', 'for an assessment before making the arrangements to have the stains removed'.
The Straits Times understands that roving teams of professional car polishers may be dispatched to remove the stains and buff cars.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has given an assurance that, while the 200 tonnes of leafy greens being junked are enough to fill some 10 lorries, it expects no impact on food prices.
This is because the amount being destroyed adds up to 'less than 1 per cent of the 350,000 tonnes of vegetables consumed' by Singaporeans in a year.
A farmer who was affected by the dye, Mr Wong Koh Fah, 45, said he is still tallying his losses.
'We'll plant again. I felt reassured when Mindef officers visited my farm to see how they could help,' he said.
Talk of a cash payout comes amid continuing efforts to uproot and destroy crops such as kai lan, kang kong and cabbage at the six affected farms in the Lorong Semangka area in Sungei Tengah.
The AVA said that workers began clearing vegetable plots last Saturday and work should be completed tomorrow.
Mindef has extended a helping hand to residents who live around the RSAF's largest fighter aircraft base, which is in Lim Chu Kang.
Colonel Darius Lim, Mindef's director of public affairs, said Mindef's hotline has received 27 calls since the incident. Most callers asked how the red spots could be removed.
The red dye was released on Nov 23 when, at around 2pm, the engine of an F-16C on the ground was left running for about 20 minutes, so that the effects of the red smoke could be seen.
The plume that emerged was blown south-east across the fenceline by strong winds.
Straits Times readers who live as far away as Dunearn Road in Bukit Timah and the Teck Whye area also complained of cars and clothes speckled with red spots.
A resident of Jalan Jambu Ayer, off Dunearn Road, was so alarmed that she called the police. This resulted in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), togged up in air-tight suits designed to handle hazardous materials, showing up at her doorstep to check the mystery stains.
An SCDF spokesman confirmed the incident and said that investigations showed that the dye had come from the RSAF air base.
Addressing health concerns, Col Lim said that trials have been suspended. He assured the public that 'the amount of red dye deposited will not cause adverse health effects when inhaled or when in contact with the skin'.
Mr Jason Sia, 29, said the stains remained even after he had hand-washed his white Honda Civic twice. 'The spots are too many to count,' he said.
When told about Mindef's helpline for car owners, Mr Sia said: 'It's better than nothing.'
[email protected]
Copyright, 2007, Singapore Press Holdings Limited -
bodoh
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Hmmm... how come, no Resident FAP-fans defending Mindef's screw up ah?? -
I reckon most likely the crop owners won't get 1-to-1 compensation.
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Well, IF that is so, then this is expectedly what one gets from trying to make a living here... you make a mistake, you pay dearly... when THEY make a mistake, they have 1001 excuses to get off lightly...!Originally posted by ^tamago^:I reckon most likely the crop owners won't get 1-to-1 compensation.
Majulah man...ma-ju-lah..... -
haha... i was there on reservist...
saw the squadron taxiing...
but didn't think their stunts cause so much problem... -
When the wind blows, shit hits everyone.Originally posted by HyperFocal:Hmmm... how come, no Resident FAP-fans defending Mindef's screw up ah?? -
Not even a word of apology for what is described by their cna as a '' botched up' exercise.
Even the mouthpiece so call reporter must come to their defence:
"The Defence Ministry has rolled out a battle plan to help the people and businesses affected by a plume of red dye released 10 days ago from Tengah Air Base".