SYARIKAT Perusahaan Haji Mohd Salleh bin Haji Ludin dan Anak-Anak started its agricultural enterprise in 2004. Haji Mohd Salleh bin Haji Ludin has been working on the farm with the help of three members of his family and 10 foreign labourers.
The vegetable-focussed farm with the size of four hectares is situated in the Agriculture Development Area (ADA), Batumpu in the Brunei-Muara District.
Haji Mohd Salleh, who is the owner and the manager of the agriculture enterprise, is a progressive farmer, fully utilising the four hectares allocated to him, planting different types and varieties of vegetables.
The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood approved his application for further expanding his farm area to an additional three hectares, with the plan to produce various chilli varieties via fertigation system and through the use of greenhouses to protect his cultivation from pests and diseases.
Apart from working on the vegetables, his company was granted an approval to plant fruit trees at the ADA, Labu Estate, Temburong under the name, Syarikat Hamnan Jaya.
About nine hectares of the 14.87 hectares land allocated to him at ADA Labu Estate has been planted with fruit trees such as durian, soursop and other fruits. The farm is also planted with bananas and some vegetables as cash crops.
Haji Mohd Salleh actively participates in courses, workshops and presentations related to agriculture, both in the country and abroad to further enhance his knowledge, expertise and experience on subjects related to vegetables and fruits. Among the courses and workshops attended included the ASEAN Training Course on Horticultural Agribusiness – Jakarta, Indonesia, Herb Industry Enterprise; workshop on post harvest management, poultry diseases and medication; short courses on mushroom production, Laila paddy production, broiler management; and biosecurity and training on cooperatives.
The farm in ADA, Batumpu has been consistently productive in producing all sorts of vegetables such as chai sim, pak choy, water convulvulus, amaranths, chilli, bitter gourd, cucumber, okra, long beans and petula. Majority of his crops are sold at Pasar Borong Koperasi SATENAGA in Kampong Selayun and Sim Kim Huat Department Store.
In 2016, the company was able to produce 459 metric tonnes of vegetables. He managed to further increase his output to 496 metric tonnes in 2017. The significant increase is an achievement, with the overall farm productivity showing an increase to about 92 metric tonnes per hectare. Sales of the produce are estimated at around $1.38 million annually.
The company plans to expand further and increase the production of vegetables and fruits to cater for the domestic and export markets. With guidance from the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, the company also intends to be certified under Brunei Good Agricultural Practices (Brunei GAP) programme, a standard recognition process which is a pre-requisite for entering the export market.
Meanwhile, Syarikat Riverland Agricultural Farm has started farming vegetables and fruits on a two-hectare piece of land at ADA, Batumpu, Masin. Initially, the farm started off rather slow, prompting the management of the company to engage the service of an agricultural expert from Thailand.
With the expertise from Thailand, the company has started to develop in a progressive manner albeit room for improvement, with productions on vegetables using hydroponics as well as high value crops.
In 2015, the farm has started to plant lettuce using the hydroponics system as the major crop of the farm. The farm also produces other vegetables and fruits such as chilli, bananas, jambu and other crops. The farm also started to plant high value crops such as asparagus and passion fruits. The asparagus farm has shown a positive outcome and the company plans to utilise the under-developed part of the farm for asparagus.
The production of vegetables in the farm has been consistent, especially the lettuce and asparagus. Produces from the farm are currently being sold to wholesale and retail stores. In 2016, the farm has produced around 12.9 metric tonnes of vegetables and fruits and has increased this to 20.2 metric tonnes in 2017. Sales in 2017 are estimated at $68,482.00.
According to the manager, Haji Ismail bin Haji Sabani, the company intends to apply for additional land to further develop the production of asparagus. – Courtesy of Agriculture and Agrifood Department, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism
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