| History  LIAN WAH HANG, the parent company was established in 1954.The founder is Mr. HO SENG CHOON,
which is also the chairman of LIAN WAH HANG FARM PTE. LTD.
Farming have been a passion of his for the past four decades, for it provide the real environment to study and understand the ecology of the animals. The business started after the visit from Japan and other European countries, he decided to trade in the primary production industry. Initial was to import accessories but as it developed the demand for livestock increase for any new country to develop, the base of all industries is the primary production. The arrangement was made to import day old chicks from Japan and sell into Singapore to help satisfied the growing food demand. Hence earning him the title of the day old chick king in Singapore. The market grew and spread into Malaysia and there arise the need of a holding area to transport by land into Malaysia the following days after the chicks are flown in. Thus the first farm was developed and the passion grew more. Like all industries the need to increase production to increase revenue is the top priority, therefore new technology is needed. Medicines, battery system cages and new husbandry management were brought in, to transform the kampong style into commercial farms with the abilities to produce more.
To demonstrate and convince the farmers, the farm took the role as an experiment farm where new equipments were tested and new species of animals are studied.
To further provide the market with the latest news, he started the nation first Mandarin farming journal. The journal continued till 1979 where it was replaced by foreign English version. Set up the animal association of Singapore, organize many farm exhibitions and also help in setting community centre during the early independence days.
LIAN WAH HANG continue to function as an experiment farm which carried out various studies and breeding programs. In 1968, the pigeon was studied for meat and the results were shared and brought into Hong Kong. 1972, Mountain goat was breed under battery system (enclose in cages); the objective was to reduce the odor found in mutton.
The experiment was defeated by the import of cheaper mutton from Australia. Running parallel with the goat was the rabbit, turtle and crocodiles. The project was called off for the demand of game meat was very bad. 1982, we started partridges and chose the American Red legged CHUKAR Partridge breed. It was the most costly project for many setbacks, were encounter due to the nature of the birds. After 10 years, we declare victory with most setback corrected, we move into quail hoping with the close characteristic the objectives with quail can be quicker for urgency of a spearhead was needed to lead the farm to the next stage, the commercial farm. By 1994 the Quail was selected to be main production for it prove to be very productive, fast growth and dual purpose, for meat and egg. With the success in quail the concentration will be on game birds for the niche market.
Thus LIAN WAH HANG FARM PTE. LTD. the proper company is established to manage as a commercial farm. To be ahead, the experiments carried on with Guinea Fowl, EMU, Ostrich and Turkey. Out of the four, only the Guinea Fowl prove potential.
With the establishment of LIAN WAH HANG FARM PTE LTD, the major selected game fowls are the Quail as the spearhead, the Pigeon, Partridges and the Guinea Fowls.
Along with the development the farm is branching of to a new area, the Agro-tourism and education tours.
In 1998, with the encouragement of Dr. Seet A.M. and the AVA, the farm decided to open for children to visit. The main reason is to educate our children that chicken doesn’t look like the one found in market and eggs don’t come from the supermarket. The response was fantastic; therefore improvements must be made. Mr. William Ho, the youngest son of Mr. Ho Seng Choon was appointed to be the public relation officer.
William’s objective is always that education and learning must be fun and interesting.
Therefore explanations must be simple and humorous and straight forwards. It must be able to captivate the children in order to accept the heat and smell of the farm. The young of Singapore is very urbanized and comfortable.
In the beginning, the tours include entering the production sheds of the farm but lately due to the understanding of Hong Kong bird flu is due to foreign animals introduction of diseases, therefore the AVA instructed us to allocate an area only for public to visit.
Each tour is about one hour and the main activity is William presentation and peeling of Quail eggs. The most enjoyable part is the question and answer section after the presentation for always-new things can be learnt from both sides.
The products of the farm can be purchase at the farm at farm prices. The most favorite with the children is the Quail chicks, but the purchase is with rule and conditions. These sales are for the children to hand on what they learnt in school as in our Primary syllabus, the Cycle and Systems. It enables them to observe the life cycle and also participate in creating the second generation and thus excite them about the elementary of Life Science.
The children also enjoy the vast opening area and the encouragement of the tour resulted many children and their families, most in 3 generation revisited the farm in the weekends or holidays. For 4 short years, Uncle William or Mr. L.C.K. from the quail farm is an icon in most school children that visited the farm.
The place is now comfortable for 80 children per hour and the maximum sections are 5 with free admission but reservation is needed. The farm also provides custom packages for workshop and program but these incur extra resources therefore it must be purchased.
Eco garden or mini farm consultancy, construction, maintenance are also services can be render. To keep up with time, the farm constructed a simple website, www.unclewilliam.biz or www.lwhfarm.com to provide more in formations and accessibility to enquiry.
Attachments from University, Poly and Secondary are welcome but must be approve by parent and most important the student must be keen and able to take the environment.
The farm next development will be hoping to link up with Tourist Promotion board and the Ministry of Education to tap on more financial and resources to expand and provide better facilities and environment for school, public and tourist to visit.
Responding to the threat of the Bird flu to Singapore poultry industry, we recently suspended all the farm visits to our farm to minimise the risk of transmitting the virus from one farm to from in the event that the virus is accidentally introduced here.
Not easily discouraged from our educational objective, hence the company establised an off-farm education facility and the first subsidary at Farmart Centre in April 2004. It is still set in Singapore's agricultural county, where student can learn all about the workings of this economically vital industry.
Major Milestones:
1955 – Lian Wah Hang formed as a sole proprietorship
1957 – Started first farm in Changi
1957- Setup the second feedmill in Singapore after Goldcoin Feedmill
1958 – Started second farm in Choa Chu Kang
1959 – Changi farm sold back to government.
1960 – Invested in a piece of Land in Jurong for purpose of setting up an orchard, but
was subsequently taken back by government to build the present SAFTI.
1963 – Lead a rally from 24-30 June to recommend an imposition of a 3 cents tax on
imported chicken eggs. Minister of National Development, Tan Kar Kan
approved the recommendation and has widely benefited the farming community.
1965 – Organized the biggest national farm exhibition at Kallang Airport on Sept 18,
this was officiated by the then Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.
1966 – Mr. Lee Kuan Yew visited the Lian Wah Hang farm at Choa Chu Kang.
1980- Lian Wah Hang secure contract to install 80% of the automatic feeding system for
the farms in the major Ponggol Pig farm project.
1990 – Lian Wah Hang farm in Choa Chu Kang relocate to Ponggol.
1995 – The Ponggol farm again relocates to Lim Chu Kang, which is presently the
current farm Lian Wah Hang Farm Pte Ltd.
1998 – Together with other farms in Lim Chu Kang and Neo Tiew area, establish the
nation own Agro-Tourism.
2004 – Set up first subsidiary company at Farmart centre named Unclewilliam Edu &
Agri Enterprises.
2004 – Obtain certification for Quail meat by HPB- Health Promotion Board of
Singapore as a healthy choice of meat.
2006 – Obtain Halal certification together with Hup Heng Poultry industries for farm’s
Quail meat. |
