Brunei-Muara - The site for the Agriculture and Agrifood Expo 2009, including the animal exhibits and flower and vegetable landscaping, will be opened to the public every Friday, Saturday aand Sunday, the Director of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) informed The Brunei Times yesterday.

Hjh Normah Suria Hayati PJDSM DSU (Dr) Hj Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri said that as for the tractor rides, which were notably among the more popular attractions during the 12-day expo, the department would try running a couple of tractors at first and see how the public response goes from there.

"We will try to accommodate the public's demands," she said.

The decision to open the expo site was due to popular demand from the public who hoped that they could use the site for jogging and for families to take a stroll during the weekends, the director said.

The expo, which opened on November 19 and concluded on November 30, welcomed a record 38,199 visitors, more than previous agriculture expos, according to a statement from the department.

Commenting on this figure. Hjh Normah said that it was a "surprising" response and that it was "much more than we expected".

Although, she noted that the recent International Halal Product Expo (IHPE), in which the department was also involved in organising, also saw a similar number of visitors.

She said that the Agriculture and Agrifood Expo's response represented the increasing interest in agriculture among Bruneians. The director added that it marked the beginning of "socialising agriculture", as intended by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources in his remarks during the expo's opening.

"People look at the landscaping (work at the expo) and they realise that agriculture can be beautiful. It can be fun. They see that the reality of agriculture is much more (than they initially perceive it to be)," she said.

Hjh Normah said that some members of the public have also been inspired by the landscaping and wished to do the same with their own crops to make their gardens beautiful.

The director also said that the expo managed to raise awareness of agriculture among children and the younger generation.

For next year's expo, she said that the department would be addressing issues raised by the public and exhibitors, such as parking and the need for a loading bay.

During the expo, the public were invited to fill out feedback forms on the expo.

"A post-mortem (on this year's expo) will be carried out first Then, we will come up with improvements for next year's expo and give the proposals to our ministry," she said.

Overall, the director was "happy" with the success of the expo, especially noting that the public have praised the government for organising an expo of International standards".

"We aim for a similar response next year. We welcome any feedback from the public," she said. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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