| Azlan Othman |
THE Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) is striving to increase rice productivity in Brunei Darussalam through introducing hybrid paddy varieties that are adaptable to the country’s environmental conditions and can produce at least 12 metric tonnes per hectare in irrigated areas.
This was stated by Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, at the opening of a training course titled ‘Hybrid Rice Yield Increasing Technology in Brunei Darussalam’, conducted by Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co Ltd with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China at the Simpur Hall of the Horticulture Business Centre in Rimba yesterday.
“Brunei’s total rice production in 2016 was only 1,500 metric tonnes. The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood aims to increase this to 11,500 metric tonnes by 2020, by implementing several initiatives that include increasing the productivity of paddy per hectare in irrigated areas by using high yielding hybrid varieties,” the minister said.
“Therefore, the training plays a significant role in equipping our farmers and staff of the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood in the management of hybrid paddy production including seed development.”
The minister added that hybrid paddy technology can have a significant impact on rice production, generate more revenue for farmers and ensure sustainability of the country’s rice industry.
“My ministry, through the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, is committed to ensure that the agriculture sector becomes one of the significant contributors to the growth of the country’s economy.”
One of the ministry’s strategic goals is to increase agriculture productivity through the use of modern technology, the minister noted.
“In Brunei Darussalam, most paddy farming activities are done by local farmers on a small scale basis. With low-yield paddy varieties, farmers are unable to optimise land use. This means that their productivity is low and their output is barely able to generate enough revenue to cover the costs,” Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali added.
Present at the event were Yang Jian, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam; members of the Legislative Council; Zhou Dan, Vice-Director of Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co Ltd; Sun Lingviang, representative of the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China; Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, Permanent Secretary at the MPRT; Pengiran Haji Kamalrudzaman bin Pengiran Haji Ishak, Acting Director of Agriculture and Agrifood; senior officials from the departments under the MPRT; delegations from Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co Ltd; and training participants.
According to Zhou Dan, Longping High-Tech has maintained long-standing relations with Brunei. “The Government of Brunei Darussalam started cooperation with Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, the shareholder of Longping High-Tech early in 2009. The training cooperation was initiated after Brunei’s Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism visited Myanmar, where he found that the productivity of the hybrid paddy of Longping High-Tech was very impressive.
“For the success of the training, we have coordinated with our branches and subsidiaries to select senior experts with overseas training for the project and assigned the rice production manager of the project in Myanmar to be in charge of variety selection and field practice. Besides, we have organised two field surveys and visits,” she added.
The 45-day training course, which began on November 15, is jointly organised by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood and Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co Ltd with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China. It will conclude on December 30, 2017.
Nine trainers from Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture are conducting the training which involves 40 participants from the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Institute of Brunei Technical Education, and the local paddy farming community.
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