| Daniel Lim |
AS PART of a continuous initiative to learn more about the current efforts made in the development of agriculture, fishery and forestry, Legislative Council (LegCo) members made the fourth and final work visit to several sites in the Tutong and Belait districts yesterday.
Organised by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT), the visit was first held on January 22 to various sites across the country.
Six LegCo members undertook the final work visit accompanied by Permanent Secretary at the MPRT Pengiran Haji Kamalrudzaman bin Pengiran Haji Mohd Ishak, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MPRT Haji Halidi bin Haji Mohd Salleh, Director of Agriculture and Agrifood and senior officials at the MPRT and Department of Agriculture and Agrifood.
The delegation first stopped at Moncherry Fruit Farm Sdn Bhd, a locally-owned plantation growing and harvesting passion fruit and avocado.
Located at the Birau Agricultural Research Centre in Kampong Birau, the plantation started in November 2017, and yielded a total of 0.13 metric tonnes in 2017 and 10.5 metric tonnes in 2018.
The next stop was Nur Babai Aquaculture Sdn Bhd at Kampong Telisai, a joint collaboration between a local company and an Indonesian investor. The 13-hectare fishery contains 17 nursery ponds housing hybrid grouper fish.
In the Belait District, the delegation visited a hydroponics plantation located at the KKP Sungai Liang operated by Syarikat Marsya Farm, previously known as Kanglin Hydroponics Farming.
Welcoming the delegation to the site was the company’s owner Haji Muliadi bin Moksin, who showcased them the various hydroponic technologies as well as drip irrigation and fertigation implemented to grow produce fruits and vegetables.
Started in early 2000, the company is operated by five workers and it harvested 71.41 metric tonnes and 101.56 metric tonnes in 2017 and 2018.
The last visit in the Belait District was to a forestry industry operated by Syarikat Tri-Sun (B) Sdn Bhd at Jalan Labi, Sungai Mau.
As a company specialising in timber processing since 1987, the company not only produces door panels and frames, windows and furniture, but also exports to countries such as Malaysia and Korea.
With over 106 employees, the company’s yearly earning is estimated to have been worth BND2.4 million in 2017 and BND2.3 million in 2018.