| Daniel Lim |
THERE are many benefits and well-documented benefits of hydroponics gardening, but it has yet to really take off in Brunei Darussalam.
One of the few local hydroponics farms that supplies fresh produce to many supermarkets in the country is a small farm called Kanglin Hydroponics Farming, located along Jalan Tengah, Lumut.
Kanglin Hydroponics Farming cultivates various hydroponically-grown fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, arugula, celery, kailan and rockmelons.
The farm uses fertigation in its farming as well as traditional planting methods (besides its focussed use of hydroponics).
Haji Muliadi bin Moksin, owner and Chairman of Kanglin Hydroponics Farming, in an interview with the Bulletin said when he started the company in 1998, it was engaged in non-commercial farming; only in 2009 did it begin farming commercially.
Kanglin Hydroponics Farming delivers fresh produce from the farms to local supermarkets thrice a week.
“This is a commitment that we have made to the public – to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables for the customers looking for the freshest produce,” Haji Muliadi said.
Haji Muliadi said, “Vegetables or fruits grown hydroponically are much safer and healthier for consumption.
“In this method of farming, no pesticides are used, unlike in traditional farming.”
ABOVE & BELOW: Haji Muliadi examining his hydroponic plants
Haji Muliadi bin Moksin, owner and Chairman of Kanglin Hydroponics Farming. – PHOTOS: DANIEL LIM
Some of the produce on display
Another advantage of hydroponics is its environmental friendliness; the method uses fertilisers in a controlled and efficient manner, which means that no fertiliser is wasted in the crop growing process.
Efficiency is also one of hydroponics’ strong point: the system can be automated and requires minimal manual effort, but still able to produce the same amount and quality of produce as traditional farming methods.
Haji Muliadi did point out that hydroponics does pose its own challenges.
“One of the challenges we face in hydroponics is producing a consistent amount of produce.”
Having yielded 82,323 metric tonnes (mt) of produce in 2015, Haji Muliadi said the company aims to increase its supply of vegetables and fruits to the domestic market by expanding and establishing their brand in more supermarkets.
He hopes to see Kanglin Hydroponics Farming continue serving the local market in the years to come and to produce more yield for 2017, revealing that his farm is on course and expected to exceed last year’s production by 20 to 25 per cent.
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