| Azlan Othman |
SEVERAL members of the steering committee of the upcoming Knowledge Convention 2018 yesterday made working visits to a number of Agricultural Development Areas (KKP) in the Brunei-Muara District.
The visits were aimed at taking a closer look at the development of various agricultural activities in the district as part of the preparations for the Knowledge Convention 2018, held in conjunction with the 72nd birthday celebration of 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.
This year, the convention will focus on the economy with particular focus on agriculture and a number of chosen projects.
The Knowledge Convention 2018 delegation comprised State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, as Advisor to the Knowledge Convention 2018; Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, as Co-Chairperson of the Knowledge Convention 2018 steering committee; Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, as Co-Chairperson of the Knowledge Convention 2018 steering committee and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, Co-Secretary of the Knowledge Convention 2018 steering committee.
The delegation first visited Sinar Tenaga Sdn Bhd farm, which cultivates vegetable and fruit crops on a five-hectare site at the Tungku Agricultural Development Area as part of a pilot project.
The company started developing the farm and implementing high-tech agriculture technologies such as a greenhouse and fertigation system in early 2017, producing high-quality vegetables and fruits such as white bitter gourd, tomatoes, golden fruit and rock melon. The company produced 4.15 metric tonnes of crops worth BND14,900 in 2017.
The group’s next stop was RZ Prisma Enterprise and Ameenfarm Agrotech and Trading at the Kilanas Agricultural Research Centre. RZ Prisma Enterprise farm cultivates vegetables using greenhouse, hydroponics and vertical farming technologies, while Ameenfarm Agrotech and Trading farm produces vegetables using a fertigation system. The four-hectare farm began operations in 2016, producing 3.07 metric tonnes of vegetable crops worth BND6,569 in 2017.
The delegation also visited Riza Fudhlana Farming Company (under the Riza Group of Companies) located at the Tanah Tuah Agricultural Development Area in Kampong Bebatik Kilanas to learn more about developments in poultry farming in the Brunei-Muara District.
The farm began operating in early 2014, employing a closed-house technology system with internal cooling. The farm runs seven houses with the capacity of producing 22,000 to 23,000 chickens and three houses with the capacity of producing 3,500 chickens capable of generating 1,155 tonnes of broiled chicken in one house rotation.
The farm produced 23,283 metric tonnes of poultry in 2017 with a total market value of BND106.53 million.
The next visit was to Haji Salleh bin Haji Ludin & Anak-Anak farm at the Batumpu Agricultural Development Area. The company has four lots of farms in the area covering seven hectares, and has been cultivating vegetable crops using conventional systems. The farm yielded about 495.9 metric tonnes of vegetables in 2017.
Visits to the Tunas Harapan Company farm and Hua Ho Agricultural Farm – which make use of an integrated farming system in producing their crops – followed.
The delegation’s last stop was the Wasan Agricultural Development Area, where they explored the Wasan paddy planting project operated by KOSEKA (Koperasi Setia Kawan) and Kampong Pengkalan Batu Village Consultative Council.
According to farmers under the project and Department of Agriculture and Agrifood officials, beginning October this year, farmers in the area will begin planting two new hybrid paddy varieties: Titih – capable of producing eight metric tonnes of rice per hectare per season and Sembada188 – which can yield up to six metric tonnes of rice per hectare per season.
The yields of the new rice strains are considerably higher compared to the currently used Laila, which is only able to produce an average of three metric tonnes per hectare per season.