RIZA Fudhlana Farming Company raises chickens for meat on a farm at Jalan Bebatik in Kulapis, using a closed-house system technology and an internal cooling system.
In a press release, Riza Fudhlana Farming Company Manager Pengiran Haji Haris bin Pengiran Haji Duraman said when they first started out in 2014, the company had only two poultry houses.
In 2015, the farm continued to grow with the addition of two more closed houses. At present, 10 closed houses have been completed, which can accommodate 20,000-23,000 birds per cycle.
The company currently plans to build 13 closed houses in the Brunei-Muara District. Three closed houses are already in progress and expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
Pengiran Haji Haris added that he also plans to integrate the production of broilers (any chicken bred and raised specifically for meat production) to fulfil his production needs according to the value chain.
He established a hatchery at the Agricultural Development Area (KKP) in Mulaut for full-time operations later in the year, while a slaughterhouse is currently in progress at KKP Batumpu.
The company also plans to build a breeder farm at KKP Maraburong in the Tutong District, with an area of eight hectares and the capacity to accommodate 7,500 birds in eight closed houses. To cater for the progressive growth in broiler production, Pengiran Haji Haris obtained an additional site at KKP Tanah Tuah in Kulapis, where he plans to build four closed houses to accommodate 20,000-22,000 birds per house.
To help with his expansion plans, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism offered six hectares of land at KKP Batumpu in Bengkurong Masin, where he seeks to build 12 closed houses for 25,000 birds.
The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood has always provided continuous support to farmers through advisory services and the provision of suitable areas for poultry farming, using high technology such as closed houses, automated feeding and water systems, to help increase the productivity of broilers for both local and foreign markets.
The production of broilers in 2017 was 23,283 metric tonnes, with a market value of BND106.53 million, contributing to 53.32 per cent of the overall gross output of the livestock industry, or 28.06 per cent of the overall gross output value.
Pengiran Haji Haris said his company’s main market is through domestic sales, with slaughtering services provided by the Jamahat Haji Liman Abattoir, before being delivered to supermarkets in Brunei. Although the market is local-oriented, the company is committed to expanding its market sales for overseas export.
The closed houses are handled by experienced foreign workers, but the main management team of the Riza Fudhlana Farming Company is entirely local, including the manager. With the use of high technology to help boost productivity, companies such as Riza Fudhlana Farming Company are setting an example in the development of the local poultry industry and its contributions to the national gross domestic product (GDP).