

96
Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2019
Agriculture
To increase rice production in Brunei, the
Sembada 188 pilot planting project was
launched in October 2018, where His Majesty
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin
Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar
‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan
and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
planted the first seedlings. This project
covered 35 hectares of agricultural land and
is a collaboration between the Department of
Agriculture and Agrifood, Ministry of Primary
Resources and Tourism (MPRT) and PT Biogene
Plantation of Indonesia.
Beforetheofficialplanting,trialswereconducted
using Sembada B9, Sembada 188, Sembada
626 and Sembada 989 seeds. Sembada 188
was chosen because it can produce twice the
yield of other varieties. Studies have shown
Sembada 188 has an average yield of five to
six tonnes per hectare per season. The seeds
are imported from Indonesia. In February 2019,
His Majesty harvested the first crop from the
Sembada 188 project.
MPRT has been making effort to increase the
country’s self-sufficiency in rice production
by developing more land for agricultural
development. His Majesty consented to the
opening of a 500-hectar farm to grow rice
in Belait, in the hopes to boost Brunei’s self-
sufficiency in rice production, from six to 15 per
cent.
Contract Farming
Brunei offers many opportunities for youth to
explore the agriculture industry. There are two
programmes available — Contract Farming and
Pilot Project. The government provides farm