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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