Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre in Singapore
Ask any chef, and he’ll likely tell you that short of harvesting it yourself at a farm, Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC) is where you’ll find the freshest fruit and veg in Singapore. Open 24/7, 365 days a year, this wholesale market is truly one which never sleeps, though you should note that individual stalls have their own opening hours.
What is Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre?
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The Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre was built in several phases over the years of 1981 to 1984 to house wholesalers who were being displaced from the city centre.
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Built on 15 hectares of reclaimed land, comprising 26 blocks and more than 1,000 stalls, warehouses, cold rooms and more, it would become Singapore’s wholesale hub for fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, as well as dried goods.
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As a one-stop hub that never closes, this is where everyone comes to get their goods. If you’ve been to a Costco, this is the market and warehouse version.
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SFA figures dating back to 2017 show that more than 40% of the fruits and veg that Singapore imports pass through PPWC.
What can I find at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre?
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There are 3 main sections in the PPWC: fruits, vegetables, and dried goods. Prepare to be overwhelmed, and potentially overstimulated, because this isn’t a jaunt to FairPrice or your neighbourhood wet market. This is, in fact, where your wet market vendor comes to get the stuff that they sell to you.
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In essence, visiting PPWC is essentially cutting out the middleman in this equation, so you can expect prices to generally be lower than you’d find in the supermarket or wet market. Where your wet market vendor has already curated a selection from the IRL catalogue that is the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, walking here yourself would be like browsing the full range.
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The market is busiest between the hours of 12am-6am, when most of the fresh produce arrives from the port. Heavy machinery such as forklifts are going to be rampant as the loading and unloading takes place; your middlemen vendors are also likely to be here in these hours so that they’re ready for the start of the business day.
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Unless you’re up for that peak hour adrenaline rush, it’s recommended that you come to the market after daybreak. Take your time to peruse the wares of the myriad wholesalers, and be prepared that some will only sell in bulk – like requiring that you buy vegetables by the kilo.
How do I get to Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre?
All visitors to PPWC need to be registered for entry – you can do so via the e-registration system on the SFA website with your IC number, or scan it at the kiosks to enter.
Getting to the PPWC is pretty simple. It’s a 7-minute bus ride from Haw Par Villa MRT Station on the Circle Line, or a 1.2km walk, which takes approximately 17 minutes. If you’re driving, there are plenty of parking spaces available at 1 Wholesale Centre, with reasonable rates at $2.40 for 2 hours of parking.
Visit the Pasir Panjang Whole Centre to buy fresh produce
The next time you’re thinking of doing marketing, make a trip to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre with plenty of empty bags, and remember to have cash on hand – cash-free is not really a thing here.
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- Old Woodlands Cinema is an abandoned mall & cineplex next to the Checkpoint
Cover image adapted from: @yure_global_exim, @sgfoodagency via Instagram