Is Brunei well-equipped to expand its agriculture industry?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam once again highlighted the urgency facing the country yesterday, emphasising that Brunei as a nation needs to increase food production output and make food security a priority.
It is the second time in as many weeks that the ruler of Brunei Darussalam has raised its importance and as such the limelight has been shifted to the Department of Agriculture and the country's lesser known rice farmers.
Brunei's self-sufficiency rate for rice, the staple food of the country and the whole of Asean, was at 3.12 per cent last year, or equivalent to 1,084 tonnes of rice produced nationwide according to official statistics.
However, the numbers have not always been that low — production levels stood at 4,259 tonnes in 1977, which represents a drastic 74.5 per cent decrease over the course of 30 years.
The fact is, no matter how deeply-rooted it is in our culture, farming as a lifestyle and a viable means to earn a living has become a thing of the past. Only a tiny proportion of the population — retirees, ex-military men and members of a much older generation are currently maintaining the traditional way of life.
Most of the younger generation are equipping and bracing themselves to earn a living in sectors far away from agriculture — banking, IT, SMEs or the civil service — although the Wasan Vocational School recently introduced a National Diploma course in Agriculture Science, a two-and-a-half year programme which will see students working on attachment in the public and private sectors as part of their final six months in the course.
We may see a small number of the younger generation taking up managerial or administrative positions in the agricultural sector in the near future. In the meantime, more land could be made available for farming, such as the 484-hectare land at Bukit Sawat in the Belait District currently on offer by the Agricultural Department.
Yet even with all the steps being taken, will it be enough to achieve the goal of self-sufficiency as aspired by His Majesty?
What is the rate of self-sufficiency that the agricultural department is trying to achieve?
What strategies have been outlined by the department to address the issue?
Not to say that the Department is staying idle on this matter — they are assisting local co-operatives, take for example the Koperasi Setia Kawan (KOSEKA), which aims to increase Brunei's self-sufficiency rate by seven per cent by 2010 — by providing subsidies for fertiliser, pesticides other necessary farming equipment and material.
On the other hand it is worthy to note that the government maintains a cattle ranch in Australia to ensure a steady supply of beef.
This ranch, located at Willeroo in the Northern Territory, is larger than the entire Sultanate.
Should Brunei consider buying a piece of land outside the country and use readily available resources, facilities and manpower found in countries like Thailand or fast-emerging economies like Vietnam?
It is expensive to produce our own crops in our own country.
There will be heavy reliance on subsidies, which do not come cheap for the government. Fertilisers, pesticides, etcetera, are costing a lot more now as world oil prices remain high, and are expected to become more and more expensive.
It may make a feasible interim solution towards achieving self-sufficiency, but will it ultimately be sustainable? The Brunei Times
It is the second time in as many weeks that the ruler of Brunei Darussalam has raised its importance and as such the limelight has been shifted to the Department of Agriculture and the country's lesser known rice farmers.
Brunei's self-sufficiency rate for rice, the staple food of the country and the whole of Asean, was at 3.12 per cent last year, or equivalent to 1,084 tonnes of rice produced nationwide according to official statistics.
However, the numbers have not always been that low — production levels stood at 4,259 tonnes in 1977, which represents a drastic 74.5 per cent decrease over the course of 30 years.
The fact is, no matter how deeply-rooted it is in our culture, farming as a lifestyle and a viable means to earn a living has become a thing of the past. Only a tiny proportion of the population — retirees, ex-military men and members of a much older generation are currently maintaining the traditional way of life.
Most of the younger generation are equipping and bracing themselves to earn a living in sectors far away from agriculture — banking, IT, SMEs or the civil service — although the Wasan Vocational School recently introduced a National Diploma course in Agriculture Science, a two-and-a-half year programme which will see students working on attachment in the public and private sectors as part of their final six months in the course.
We may see a small number of the younger generation taking up managerial or administrative positions in the agricultural sector in the near future. In the meantime, more land could be made available for farming, such as the 484-hectare land at Bukit Sawat in the Belait District currently on offer by the Agricultural Department.
Yet even with all the steps being taken, will it be enough to achieve the goal of self-sufficiency as aspired by His Majesty?
What is the rate of self-sufficiency that the agricultural department is trying to achieve?
What strategies have been outlined by the department to address the issue?
Not to say that the Department is staying idle on this matter — they are assisting local co-operatives, take for example the Koperasi Setia Kawan (KOSEKA), which aims to increase Brunei's self-sufficiency rate by seven per cent by 2010 — by providing subsidies for fertiliser, pesticides other necessary farming equipment and material.
On the other hand it is worthy to note that the government maintains a cattle ranch in Australia to ensure a steady supply of beef.
This ranch, located at Willeroo in the Northern Territory, is larger than the entire Sultanate.
Should Brunei consider buying a piece of land outside the country and use readily available resources, facilities and manpower found in countries like Thailand or fast-emerging economies like Vietnam?
It is expensive to produce our own crops in our own country.
There will be heavy reliance on subsidies, which do not come cheap for the government. Fertilisers, pesticides, etcetera, are costing a lot more now as world oil prices remain high, and are expected to become more and more expensive.
It may make a feasible interim solution towards achieving self-sufficiency, but will it ultimately be sustainable? The Brunei Times
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