Brunei Co-Op To Hike Rice Harvest
By Hadthiah PD Hazair

Brunei-Muara - Rice farmers plan to increase their plantation area and use a grain variety that will enable them to increase their harvest by 30 per cent.

The National Paddy Cooperative Limited (KPKB) is readying applications to lease land for rice farming in all four districts.

The local farmers’ cooperative has struck an agreement with the Kalimantan Farmers Cooperative to help Bruneian farmers in growing the Bibit padi, which is more commonly grown in Kalimantan.

"Bibit, unlike the types of paddy grown here (in Brunei), will harvest three times a year. It is suitable to Brunei soil and weather and should grow just as well here as it does in Kalimantan," KPKB chairman DPSU Hj Osman Hj Omar explained.

With more than 200 members, KPKB is hoping it would be granted land in all four districts.

"At the moment, there are very limited padi farming areas, which is why the yearly output for rice is quite low," Hj Osman said.

He added that since the cooperative was established more than 10 years ago, they have tried repeatedly to seek land lease for paddy farming purposes.

"InsyAllah, our application would be looked into and hopefully be approved."

However, the cooperative is not considering to export its output should land be granted. Their main aim, the chairman said, is to increase local paddy yield and help local paddy farmers.

Addressing why the sultanate's rice production is so minimal, Hj Osman said: "The younger generation are not interested in farming and agriculture, there is not much incentives from the government to encourage paddy farming ... And if you see, there's not many padi farming fields here either."

KPKB hopes that it will be allowed to perform an important role in the national paddy and rice industry, the chairman said.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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