| Hakim Hayat |
TWO local companies have been awarded government tenders for projects aimed at boosting the country’s rice production, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood announced recently.
Yaz & Wyn Enterprise was awarded a tender to develop 110 hectares of land in Kg Panchor Murai ‘A’ and ‘B’ into large-scale commercial paddy production site. The project that was offered through open tender in May 2017 is expected to increase national paddy production rate up by 1,150 metric tonnes (690 metric tonnes of rice) per year.
During a contract signing ceremony at the Headquarters of the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood in Old Airport, Berakas, the department’s Director Hajah Aidah binti Haji Mohd Hanifah signed on behalf of the department while Yaz & Wyn Enterprise was represented by its proprietor Ezwyn bin Haji Abdul Bakar.
According to the department, encouraging commercial-scale paddy production is one of its efforts to boost national paddy production in the long run. “With its implementation in a large-scale, it will generate economies of scales for the purchase of farming input materials such as fertilisers, pesticides and machineries at a lower cost, thus reducing the cost of production and giving higher rate of returns.”
The contract is for five years and is renewable subject to the performance of the company in developing the land.
Another tender was awarded to Preston Geocem (B) to find alternative and cost-effective groundwater resources to supply water to agricultural sites with insufficient or no irrigation systems.
Signing the contract on behalf of the department was its director, while Preston Geocem (B) was represented by its Managing Director Amalina binti Abdul Khalid. The project was offered in open tender in April this year.
Preston Geocem (B) is tasked to explore and analyse groundwater samples at Bebuloh Agricultural Development Area, Limau Manis and Junjongan in the Brunei-Muara District; Lot Sengkuang Agricultural Development Area in the Belait District and Perdayan and Lekiun Agricultural Development Area in the Temburong District.
The department said these projects are part of the efforts of Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) through the Department of Agriculture and Agrifoods in boosting paddy and rice production.