| Wani Roslan |
THE Knowledge Convention Exhibition 2018 (MajIEx2018) officially kicked off yesterday at the East Concourse, Lobby, Main Conference Hall and Perpaduan Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas.
The exhibition is open to the public for seven days from November 27 – 29 from 2pm to 5pm, and November 30 to December 3 from 9am to 5pm.
The event aims to instil an interest in agriculture entrepreneurship among Bruneians, and showcases agricultural technologies used to improve farm productivity and profitability as well as employment opportunities in the field.
This year’s event highlights economy and agriculture, and is segmented into three areas: Introduction to Agriculture, Agricultural Education, Agribusiness Ecosystem, Entrepreneurship and Products, and Agro-technology.
Under Introducing to Agriculture, the exhibition focusses on the evolution of agriculture in Brunei Darussalam (Past, Present and Future), the agricultural sector from the Islamic perspective, and the country’s vision in developing the sector.
The second area is Agricultural Education, with a focus on educational programmes including research and development in the agriculture field, including basic curriculum; primary, secondary and higher education; and career paths and employment opportunities in agriculture.
In an interview, Megawati binti Haji Sani, a pre-school teacher from Lambak Kanan Jalan 10 Primary School, shared that the school has introduced its pupils to the basics of agriculture through its Early Science Education basic education programme.
“We conduct hands-on activities for the children to gain a real experience and enable them to increase their skills, knowledge and creativity, and the involvement of parents in these activities also helps in the quality of their learning,” she said.
The Agribusiness Ecosystem section, meanwhile, highlights the government’s efforts to develop the agriculture sector through a whole-of-nation approach, partnering and working with various ministries and private agencies, including the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) and other stakeholders.
The Entrepreneurship and Products (Fresh Production and Processing) section focusses on successful agri-entrepreneurs, exhibiting fresh produce from agribusiness farms and processed products (agriculture and seafood), as well as showcasing job opportunities in the sector.
One of these agriculture success stories is Berry Good Sdn Bhd, a local strawberry producer.
Speaking to the Bulletin, the company’s Executive Director Hajah Tahniah binti POKDGSL Haji Mohd Taha shared that the company was established two years ago, and is currently awaiting the harvest season.
“In our first trial of producing the strawberries, the harvest was not of a good quality. We are hoping the production in March and April will get better, and then we will try to increase our production,” she said. “Farming strawberries is very challenging, especially in terms of producing quality fruits, and the current weather really affects the quality and yield.
“When we get the standard quality, we will supply to the local markets. All our machines, seedlings and fertilisers are from Korea,” she said.
Hajah Tahniah added that for the past two years, the company had been looking to produce good quality strawberries with a sweet taste by using hydroponics and high-positioning farming techniques.
The last section, Agro-technology (Science, Technology and Innovate), highlights Brunei’s agricultural revolution through the use of technology in business activities and the technological changes (traditional to modern) the agriculture sector has gone through over the years.