The History of the Pineapple Industry in Singapore, 1900s–1930s

Singapore was once the world’s largest producer of canned pineapples. The pineapple industry was once dominated by Chinese firms and a crucial source of wealth for several influential merchants. It offered an inexpensive product to consumers in Britain and its empire, democratising the taste of a fruit once regarded as a symbol of wealth and luxury. From the 1920s, however, the industry began to decline in Singapore, moving northwards to Johor. Why did Singapore’s pineapple industry emerge and then vanish so quickly? How was the Chinese community involved? What traces of it remain today? This lecture explores the history of pineapples in Singapore within local and global contexts.

Speaker’s Biography

Dr Michael Yeo

Assistant Professor of History
School of Humanities
Nanyang Technological University

Michael Yeo is an urban historian of modern Southeast Asia, with a focus on northern Borneo. He is an Assistant Professor of History at Nanyang Technological University, where he teaches and researches the histories of cities, coasts, and commodities. Michael received his DPhil in History from the University of Oxford, and he is currently working on a book manuscript about empire and urbanisation in Borneo.

Moderator 

Shaun Choh

Senior Curator
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre