Gleaming structures rise over 23m above ground and leaves peek out of several racks in the world’s tallest indoor vertical farm that was unveiled here on Jan 7. With 69 patents behind innovations that help to optimise crop growth and minimise costs, the farm is powered by AI, robotics and automation technologies. The official opening of the farm, which was attended by Singapore President Tharman Shanmu­ga­ratnam, comes at a time when the prospects of some vertical farms, here and globally, have been looking grim. The challenges affecting high-tech vertical farms include high capital and energy costs, supply chain breakdowns following the Covid-19 pandemic, and weakened investor confidence. High energy costs have been hurting the profitability of indoor farms, but Greenphyto managed to leverage its research and development to reduce its energy use by 30%.

Source: The Star January 08, 2026 13:34 UTC