Brunei Poultry For S’pore
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam's gross agricultural production in 2007 increased to $199 million from $172 million in 2006, a surge of $28 million.

In moving forward with regards to the livestock industry, the department is striving towards more than 70 per cent livestock contribution to the agricultural gross domestic production as special emphasis has been made to lure investment, besides widening the field, business networking and expanding the production market by entering the export market. The nation's strength in its Halal brand should be consolidated.

Elaborating on the poultry farming, which contributed $81.21 million, it was highlighted that it constituted 66 per cent of the livestock sector contribution, followed by chicken eggs at $18.73 million.

The department is targeting to export poultry and chicken eggs to Singapore. Hence, for that purpose (to export), it is necessary for poultry and egg businesses to have a proper system whereby the pen must be enclosed to ensure higher production, lower death rate, as well as low and profitable production cost.

Such enclosed system can be controlled to facilitate Good Agriculture Husbandry Practices (GHAP). The egg production guideline must also abide by GHAP procedures.

The department also revealed that the crop production surged from $32.02 million in 2006 to $35.77 million last year. However, when it came to local fruits, the production was not high with only 34 per cent (equivalent to $7.14 million or 4,372 metric tonnes) compared to imports at $21.5 million (or 14,322 mt).

Hence, to increase the production the department has opened up more farms at Kupang (109 ha), Batang Mitus (27.2 ha) and Labu (35 ha).

The department is also targeting to increase production of local fruits to 24,650 mt ($49 million) or reach 100 per cent self-sufficiency by the year 2023. Among the strategies include support programmes in fruit production (through incentive schemes), use of production technology, introduction of new seedlings, effective farm management and post harvesting, quality programme and safety and upgrading marketing system.

In addition, other initiatives include opening up more areas, encouraging private sector participation by offering sites under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Department, enhancing skills and expertise ofthe staff and entrepreneurs and organise campaigns to plant local fruits.

Brunei also recorded 84 per cent self-sufficiency (or $22.6 million, 9,793 mt) in vegetable production last year while imports stood at $11.06 million (7,125.8 mt). Areas to grow vegetables in Brunei are more than adequate to meet the local needs.

The department is also targeting to increase the vegetable production to 22,000 mt ($43.8 million) by 2023. They can achieve 100 per cent self-sufficiency in tropical vegetable production within a short period. It is hoped that the additional production in the coming years could be targeted towards the value-added sector, processing of products and to the export market.

In terms of rice production, Brunei achieved only 3.2 per cent self-sufficiency (983 mt) last year compared to 895 mt in 2006, up by 5.5 per cent. The department is targeting to increase rice production by 8-10 per cent in five to 10 years.

The most potential sector to be developed is food processing where its value-added production was up by 34 per cent last year, from $30.10 million to $40.2 million. To reduce production cost, quality raw material could be obtained from the neighbouring country at a lower cost.

Brunei has the advantage to support the activities due to better facilities and infrastructure and the setting up of agrotechnology garden in Kg Tungku by attracting foreign investors or joint ventures to develop the sector.

The department also provides incentives to farmers like land, basic infrastructure like road, water source in the form of pool, power supply and water for domestic use (all of which are given free), and low rent for entrepreneurship site. Manure, pesticides, seedlings, barbed wire, water pump are sold at half prices, while free counselling is also provided.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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