Koo Jin Shen
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, February 9, 2012
FOOD Security and self-sufficiency in Brunei's rice production continued to be pushed throughout 2011, with government urging local farmers to increase yields while also engaging in international cooperation in various aspects of rice farming.
Setback revealed
During the seventh session of the State Legislative Council, the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar disclosed that the country had missed its 2010 target of producing 20 per cent of its own rice needs.
The target was set in mid-2009 and was part of a nationwide campaign to raise self-sufficiency in rice production from 3.12 per cent in 2007. To date, no official figures on national rice production has been released for 2010 or 2011. The minister, however, conceded that it was "not that significant" of an increase from the 2007 figure.
"Rice production in 2010 was of course lower than what was hoped. We hoped for 20 per cent that day, so it is less than 20 per cent," Pehin Dato Hj Yahya informed the LegCo session. "We knew it from the beginning that it was a tall order," the minister told The Brunei Times.
However achieving the target was never the ministry's primary objective. Instead, "Twenty per cent was just a driving force to push the farmers to achieve more. That is what we wanted," explained the minister, insisting that the "end-product is for everyone to get interested".
Pehin Dato Hj Yahya added that rice production would have been much lower had it not been for the national initiative.
"If we did not increase our efforts drastically, our production would have definitely been below three (per cent). If we maintained business as usual, it (domestic production) would have been below three, probably 1.5 per cent," he said.
Adverse weather conditions, insufficient amount of land developed for padi farming and unsatisfactory yields by farmers were also among the issues blamed for the shortfall of the 2010 target.
"The weather has been unpredictable," he said, adding that bouts of heavy rain destroyed crops, and worsened pest and crop infestation.
During the LegCo proceedings, the minister also shared that as much as 2,360 hectares of land should have been "opened up" last year in order to achieve the 20 per cent target. "But what happened in 2010 until now, is that we have only been able to open up about 1,355 hectares. Meaning, we are lacking the area to be opened to achieve the 20 per cent," he said.
The minister added that MIPR had also hoped for farmers to achieve yields of three metric tonnes per hectare "but what happened in this early stage of achieving 20 per cent is that our farmers could only produce 1.4 metric tonnes per hectare".
"So because of these factors, we have achieved less than what we aimed (for). But nonetheless, we are working towards achieving 60 per cent in the long run for the year 2015," he said.
Pushing forward
For the greater objective of 60 per cent self-sufficiency, the MIPR would require one per cent of Brunei's total land area, or about 6,000 hectares, said Pehin Dato Hj Yahya during the last Legislative Council session.
He added that on the greater issue of food security, the mindset of the people on farming had to change to increase the nation's "pool of farmers" as people still felt "odd" to take up farming due to the hard work involved. Other initiatives included better management of irrigation, pests, fertiliser and "certified seeds".
In July 2011, MIPR announced plans to achieve 285 per cent rise in padi farm hectarage, from the current 1300 hectares to 5000, said Acting Director Hjh Aidah Hj Mohd Hanifah of the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood during the opening ceremony of the 31st Asean Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB) Meeting.
She also said that in its medium-term plan, the government aims to raise self-sufficiency in rice to 20 per cent by 2015, a change in target from the 60 per cent target set previously. She also said that new high-yield varieties will complement the schemes and incentives that the department was providing.
The International Ricebowl
Two high-yield rice varieties from Singapore was planned by the DAA to be cultivated on a large-scale as an alternative to Laila and other rice grown in Brunei, said its acting director in July 2011.
"Through this (breeding) project, the DAA will receive the rights to two parental lines (of padi) to produce a chosen, combined variety," said Hjh Aidah
Plans are in place to mass cultivate the hybrid variety in question, currently known as SAT-11, following the public's approval of its taste and its potential to be cultivated in areas experiencing problems with water supply.
High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei Joseph Koh called the hybrid variety "seeds of a new tomorrow", recalling "miracle" yields of 12 metric tonnes (wet) or 7.5 metric tonnes (dry) per hectare (mt/ha) achieved by the local farmers last year.
With an average of five mt/ha, the hybrid yields were "more than triple the average achieved by Bruneian farmers growing the conventional in-bred rice". Laila has been reported to yield about three to four mt/ha and traditional rice varieties such as pusu can yield one to two mt/ha.
In October 2011, Taiwan offered Brunei nine different varieties of rice to be grown here as it seeks to join in the Sultanate's national campaign to boost rice production figures towards greater self-sufficiency. During celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Taiwan's "Double Ten Day", the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei said rice was Taiwan's "chief grain crop" and that agriculture was a driving force to the territory's "economic miracle".
"After carefully studying, we have provided the information of the nine kinds of the chief superior rice varieties grown in Taiwan for Brunei's selection," Terry Ting said in his remarks at The Empire Hotel and Country Club.
The DAA agreed to continue existing cooperation and collaboration in the field of agriculture with Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation with an MoU in September. The collaboration and cooperation aims to increase crop production through the improvement of farm management, explained DAA in a media statement.
Among some of the objectives and activities listed in the MoU include conducting field survey, soil investigation and developing better cultivation techniques and fertiliser application methods through experimental cultivation in Temburong, Tutong and Brunei-Muara districts.
The MoU will also see the Japanese firm offering their expertise and advice on cultivation and use of fertiliser for the Sultanate's rice field project in Kg Junjungan and/or other projects to be nominated by the Brunei government with the agreement of the Mitsubishi Corporation.
In December 2011, The Bangladesh High Commissioner to Brunei had also lauded the drive by His Majesty's government to aim for self-sufficiency in local rice production, and expressed his country's desire to share expertise and experience with regards to high-yield rice varieties.
High Commissioner M Shameem Ahsan highlighted the country's ability to contribute in terms of labour.
He added that cooperation with the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) has proved Bangladesh successful in developing rice varieties that are water, saline and pest tolerant coupled with high yield rate and this is the variety now widely used in Bangladesh.
"Perhaps, on the subject of variety development, we could lend our hand and share our experiences in working with Brunei to create a strain that would be suited to the local climate," Ahsan proposed.
Regional food security
In October 2011, Brunei, along with ASEAN members with dialogue partners signed the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve agreement in Jakarta. As part of the agreement, Brunei is to contribute 3,000 tonnes of rice stock and provide $140,160 (US$107,500) in financial aid.
Industry and Primary Resources Permanent Secretary Hjh Normah Suria Hayati PJDSM DSU (Dr) Hj Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri told The Brunei Times that the state's self-sufficiency drive will be unaffected.
"In general it will not affect our programme towards self-sufficiency as the rice can come from abroad and in monetary form," she said.
Previously, an ASEAN official said that despite Brunei's rice production figures, the Sultanate was still encouraged to contribute to the reserve.
Somsak Pipoppinyo, assistant director of the Asean Economic Community Department, said that the figures should not discourage the Sultanate from playing a role in the collective effort.
Pipoppinyo said that Brunei could contribute a smaller percentage of its stock as a gesture of goodwill in the spirit of Asean cooperation. Brunei could also contribute in other aspects, such as providing technical assistance or through other avenues, including financial assistance, he added.
The agreement was signed during the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and forestry meeting (AMAF), which held food security strategies at the top of the ministerial agenda. The agreement aims to secure 787,000 tonnes of rice stock in anticipation of sudden instabilities of rice production and supply brought about by natural disasters.
Thailand as the biggest Asean contributor will provide 15,000 tonnes of rice stock, while Vietnam and Myanmar will each contribute 14,000 tonnes. Indonesia and Philippines will each provide 12,000 tonnes.
The Plus Three partners China, Japan and South Korea will prepare 300,000 tonnes, 250,000 tonnes, and 150,000 tonnes, respectively.
Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times
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