| Aziz Idris |
AN INCREASING number of young entrepreneurs in the Sultanate are venturing into agribusiness, thanks to 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’s call for youth to get into agriculture.
Answering His Majesty’s call, four young Bruneians have embarked on an ambitious agriculture business to construct and supply hydroponic structures.
Their company, Agrometro, is located at the IBTE Agro-Technology Campus, formerly known as Wasan Vocational School.
The Agrometro team is led by Norisa ‘Azuma binti Mohd Norazmi, 29, as the Director. Siti Badariah binti Darius, 29, is serving as Nursery Plant Specialist, Nursalwana binti Kamidi, 20, as Marketing Manager and Norwardi bin Griffin, 22, as General Manager.
Founded in 2017, Agrometro was initially part of the IBTE Agro-Technology Campus module that needed to be implemented to get the school’s scoring system. The company participated actively during the Agriculture and Agrifood Expo and SME Day as well as in the government initiative, the Entrepreneurial Development and Guidance (EDGE).
During these exposures, Agrometro’s hydroponic structures have received positive feedback from the public with over 30 structures sold and more orders still coming in. Apart from constructing the structures, the start-up sells other agricultural products such as Sekam, Kulit Padi and Cocopeat.
To date, Agrometro has developed three different structures – Mini Hydroponic System which has four tiers and can accommodate 44 plants; Vertical Hydroponic System which comes with 30 holes in the form of towers; and Raft Hydroponic System which stores 30-40 plants.
There are also more than 10 types of plants available such as Bayam, Kangkong, lettuce, mint leaves and more. However, the plants can be customised depending on customers’ needs, Norisa ‘Azuma said.
According to her, using hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent, plants can be grown anywhere.
“It’s an example of organic gardening in which plants are grown in nutrient solution, instead of soil. By practising hydroponics, gardeners don’t have to worry about issues such as weeding, soil borne diseases, when to fertilise, spraying pesticides, tilling and soil texture.
“It is an easy way of growing fruits and vegetables that are healthier and have more nutritional value. With hydroponic gardening you can expect results in a very short span. “Hydroponic gardens are simple to maintain – both indoor and outdoor. You can relish fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables that will bring you happiness and peace of mind while saving money,” she added.
Apart from responding to His Majesty’s call to further develop the agricultural sector in the Sultanate, the start-up’s goal is to create awareness on growing plants using the hydroponic system without spending a lot of money, she said, highlighting Agrometro’s motto, “We plant, We Grow, We Sell”.
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