Lettuce and chicory market in Singapore, 2026

Earlier Report Observations

The Singapore lettuce and chicory market saw a contraction from 2018 to 2020, with volume falling from 18 162 t to 16 685 t. This decline coincided with significant regulatory changes, including the establishment of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in 2019 and the implementation of its Novel Food Regulatory Framework, which introduced new oversight for food imports and safety. The regulatory adjustment continued in 2020 with the Food (Amendment No. 3) Regulations coming into force, aligning food additive standards and likely increasing compliance requirements for market participants.

Market volume began to recover from 2021 onward, reaching 18 001 t by 2023. This growth was primarily driven by shifting consumer preferences toward fresh, healthy, and convenient dining options, evidenced by the rising popularity of salad bars and the expansion of online grocery platforms like RedMart and NTUC FairPrice Online, which improved access to fresh produce. Concurrently, urban farming initiatives, such as those by Edible Garden City, gained traction, supporting a rebound in local production from 534 t in 2020 to 756 t in 2023.

In the later period, the market demonstrated resilience despite global headwinds. Consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed vegetables remained strong through 2022 and 2023, even as global supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crunch increased logistical costs and import prices. This sustained demand, coupled with ongoing regulatory updates like SFA's 2023 guidance on novel food safety assessments, helped the market volume stabilize in 2022 and achieve growth in 2023.

Production lettuce and chicory in Singapore

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of lettuce and chicory, 2017-2020

World map of production of lettuce and chicory, 2017-2020

Singapore's lettuce and chicory production declined for the second year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 533.9 tonnes, marking a significant 19.1% drop from 2019. Looking at the 2017-2020 period, production fell by 18.1%, with an average annual decline of 6.4%. The highest production level was recorded in 2018 at 722.4 tonnes, which also saw the largest annual increase of 10.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in Singapore in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports lettuce and chicory from Singapore

Exports in kind, t

Singapore's lettuce and chicory exports decreased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, export volumes stood at 37 tonnes, down 37.2% from the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, exports plummeted by 91%, translating to an average annual decline of 55.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Singapore in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Singapore's lettuce and chicory exports were primarily directed to Malaysia, which accounted for 90.7% of total export volumes.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Singapore in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Singapore's lettuce and chicory exports in value terms also fell for the third straight year. In 2020, export value reached 69 thousand US dollars, showing a sharp 22.2% decrease compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, export value dropped by 85.8%, with an average annual decline of 47.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Singapore in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017-2020, Malaysia dominated Singapore's lettuce and chicory export value, holding an 89.1% share of total flows, while other markets contributed relatively minor shares.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Singapore in value, 2017-2020

Imports lettuce and chicory to Singapore

Imports in kind, t

Singapore's lettuce and chicory imports declined for the second year in a row. In 2020, import volumes amounted to 16 188 tonnes, a 4.1% decrease from 2019. Between 2017 and 2020, imports fell by 5.9%, with an average annual decline of 2.0%. The peak import volume was recorded in 2018 at 17 767 tonnes. The largest annual decrease occurred in 2019 at 5.0%, while the largest increase was in 2018 at 3.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Singapore in kind, 2017-2020, t

During 2017-2020, Malaysia was the dominant source for Singapore's lettuce and chicory imports in volume, accounting for 81.7% of total flows, with the remainder distributed among various smaller suppliers.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Singapore in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Singapore's lettuce and chicory imports in value terms showed a slight increase in 2020, reaching a total of value_last_year thousand US dollars, up 1.4% from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, import value grew by 3.9%, with an average annual increase of 1.3%. The highest value was recorded in 2018 at 26 487 thousand US dollars. The largest annual decline occurred in 2019 at 1.6%, while the largest increase was in 2018 at 4.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Singapore in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Malaysia, China, and Australia were consistently the main sources for Singapore's lettuce and chicory imports in value terms, with shares of 65.4%, 9.3%, and 8.8% respectively. Together, these three countries accounted for 83.5% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Singapore in value, 2017-2020