Rice farming for food security

Abdul Aziz Ismail
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

CONCERNS over food security prompted Brunei to prioritise agricultural output in recent years, but the government fell short of meeting its rice self-sufficiency target.

In 2009, the government set the goal of 60 per cent rice self-sufficiency by this year, but figures showed that efforts have not paid off.

It was reported in March this year that Brunei’s rice production was far from the 60 per cent target set by the then Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, now known as Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT).

Self-sufficiency in rice production was only at four per cent last year, said a former senior official at MPRT.

Former minister Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar had said domestic production of rice increased from 1,230 metric tonnes in 2013 to 1,380 metric tonnes last year. Figures for this year were not made available.

Earlier this year, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Primary Resources and Tourism Hj Khairuddin Hj Abd Hamid, had said the agriculture sector contributes only 0.4 per cent to Brunei’s gross domestic product (GDP).

After falling short of reaching the rice self-sufficiency target, the government continued its initiatives to increase padi production this year.

Rice varieties

The sultanate developed various hybrid rice strains over the years as one way of achieving its output goals.

This included the Laila rice strain, which was introduced and renamed from Brunei Darussalam Rice 1 in 2009 to assist in achieving the self-sufficiency target.

In July, more Laila rice padi seedlings were planted over 50 hectares of land by 21 local farmers at the Kg Limau Manis Agricultural Development Area.

The planting hoped to boost the Limau Manis Village Consultative Council’s economic growth and contribute to the target.

Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Ali Hj Apong, who was appointed as minister of primary resources and tourism this year, had said his ministry will continue to diversify the country’s rice planting methods and boost production by increasing the use of its domestically developed hybrid rice strain.

He said the sultanate’s first home-grown hybrid rice strain called Beras-Titih can be used efficiently to establish more paddy plantations and increase rice output.

In 2012, the Beras Titih was introduced as part of a project between the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood and Sunland Agri-tech Sdn Bhd.

Challenges

Challenges continue to affect farmers in increasing their rice production.

One of the challenges was pests in rice crops, which often hinder the effectiveness of production as the pests feed on the roots, stems, leaves and grains of padi.

In October, concerns over the inconsistent growth of rice production were also raised as some padi farms faced water supply issues in the Limau Manis agricultural area.

The ministry had said it was trying to resolve the issue by introducing better irrigation systems to ensure the soil is dry enough to be plowed.

The government has also been working to improve the quality and capability of the farms as the ministry believes that the rice self sufficiency target can still be achieved through better farming and farmlands.

The ministry is currently developing the National Biosafety Framework to minimise the potential risks and improve Brunei’s food security management and infrastructure.

Initiatives

The government has carried out initiatives and efforts to increase rice production through incentive schemes.

The schemes included the buy-back programme, improvements to infrastructure and the adoption of advanced production technologies to bump yields and overall productivity.

The ministry has been coordinating with public and private entities to employ agro-industrial research and development efforts, such as selective breeding, tissue culture and cross-breeding.

Furthermore, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) introduced the Professional Services for the Wasan-Bebuloh Mechanised Rice Scheme in July to encourage more villagers at Kg Limau Manis to venture into padi farming.

The scheme aimed to improve padi irrigation at Mukim Pengkalan Batu and to provide farms with enough water to meet cultivation needs and boost yearly production.

The government is also targeting youth to pursue a career in padi farming.

In July, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports launched the first youth padi planting course at the Youth Development Centre.

The five-month course aimed to encourage and attract more youth to pursue a career in agriculture.

The course also saw the participants produce 3,540kg of padi worth $5,664.

After the end of the course, the government awarded 18 hectares of land in Kg Bebuloh to the youth farmers to start their rice production.

Under the land agreement, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood will also provide basic farm infrastructure and other incentives such as fertilisers, pesticides, machineries and pricing assistance scheme as well as training programmes and advice from the Brunei Rice Farmers Field School.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Brunei Technical Education’s Wasan Vocational School (IBTE SVW) also held a workshop in August to teach farmers rice cultivation and preparation methods.

The course provided training to the farmers on farming methods to improve the country’s food security and sustainable agriculture.


Sumber - The Brunei Times


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