108 / 260
106
Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2021
AGRICULTURE
According to the Department of Agriculture and
Agrifood, in 2019, Brunei Darussalam’s gross
agriculture output increased by BND56.65 million
to BND428.89 million, contributed by increasing
livestock, development in the irrigation system
and cooperation with other countries.
Over the past two decades, the country’s total
agricultural output – crops, livestock and
agrifood-related processing – increased from
BND127 million to BND429 million, said Minister
of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri
Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Apong.
Aquaculture took the big chunk, expanding at a
rate of 11.53 per cent annually and increasing
from BND2.1 million in 1998 to BND16.7 million
in 2017.
In terms of food self-sufficiency, Brunei has
reached almost 100 per cent self-sufficiency
in poultry, achieved about 47 per cent in
vegetables, 37 per cent for fruits, and 30 per cent
in the supply of meat.
Despite the agriculture industry’s small
contribution to the nation’s GDP, making up 0.54
per cent in 2017, moving forward, the minister
said that the government’s agriculture focus
will be on increasing farming productivity by
making use of advanced technology. The ministry
will also focus on exploring downstream and
added-value agrifood processing for the domestic
and international markets.
The need for Brunei to develop its agricultural
field has been previously highlighted by
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.
Through the relevant ministries and His
Majesty’s consent, several initiatives have
been implemented to spur growth in the sector.
Among them is a pilot project, that involves the
allocation of sites for preliminary trials.
His Majesty has also consented to the opening of
a 500-hectare area in Kandol for rice cultivation.
Once fully operational, it will be the largest
paddy estate in Brunei.
The planting of Sembada 188 seedlings on
October 28, 2019 by His Majesty marked the
official start of the commercial rice farm in the
Agricultural Development Area (KKP) of Kandol.
During the 2018/2019 season, around two tonnes
of Sembada 188 seeds were sown, leading to
satisfactory results and an additional order of
up to 15 tonnes of seeds for Brunei’s commercial
rice fields in the 2019/2020 season.
PaddyCo, a company under Darussalam Assets
Sdn Bhd, oversees the project while PT Biogene
Plantation provides technical support, including
knowledge transfer to local farmers regarding
Sembada 188 cultivation methods.
On May 21, 2020, the minister shared the
success of the first harvest at KKP Kandol,
which totalled at 21.7 tonnes across seven
hectares of land. The yield in the first quarter of
2020 was recorded at 1,801.28 tonnes. This is
an increase of 36 per cent compared to the first
quarter of 2019.
Two seasons of rice production have been
completed at KKP Kandol. The third rice planting
season began in November 2020, with a total
area of about 30 hectares.