| James Kon |
TWENTY-five undergraduates of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) completed a basic livestock training programme yesterday at the Youth Centre in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The programme was organised by undergraduates of the Academy of Brunei Studies at UBD with support from the Agriculture and Agrifood Department of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism; Halal Food Control Division, Syariah Affairs Department under the Ministry of Religious Affairs; Entrepreneurship Village (UBD); as well as local companies Riza Fudhlana Farming, Ladang Ternak Fatihana, Abbatoir Jamahat Haji Liman and Syarikat Nurfaidzal dan Anak-Anak.
The three-week programme’s aim was to give the participants an insight into what it’s like to engage in agriculture and livestock entrepreneurship, to encourage them to venture into the field.
It included talks on livestock farming and visits to livestock farms, slaughter plants and other related sites.
Guest of honour Deputy Director of the Academy of Brunei Studies at UBD Dr Haji Tasim bin Haji Bakar presented completion certificates to the participants.
“I understand that the basic livestock training programme is organised by a group of three final year students under Module PB-4307 of the community project two offered by the Academy of Brunei Studies under the supervision of Haji Mohammad Rafee bin Haji Shahi with cooperation from the Agriculture and Agrifood Department,” Dr Haji Tasim said.
“The programme has received support from local farms such as Riza Fudhlana Farming, Abbatoir Jamahat Haji Liman, Ladang Ternak Fatihana and Syarikat Nurfaidzal dan Anak-Anak, and serves as training for the participants and gives them the opportunity to tour livestock farming sites.”
Dr Haji Tasim said he hoped the programme will be continued beyond the current semester, as it can be “a starting point in encouraging more youth to go into livestock breeding and increasing their involvement in the agriculture industry”.
He added that the programme can benefit the young participants in terms of enhancing their entrepreneurship and creative thinking skills, especially in light of the current state of the job market, with many graduates facing difficulties in finding employment.
He said, “The programme can help those who would like to venture into the field and develop and commercialise their operations.
“Courses like this (are part of a wider initiative to) produce creative and competitive youth. This adheres to the Brunei Vision 2035 aspiration of seeing Brunei develop into a nation of highly-educated, high-income and resilient citizens. Similarly, UBD also aims to produce competitive graduates and entrepreneurs. Insya Allah.”
The event ended with a forum titled ‘Survivability in livestock among youths’ chaired by Haji Hanafiah bin Jakariah of Ladang Ternak Fatihana and Nur Farhanah binti Md Faidzal of Nurfaidzal dan Anak-Anak.