Valid agricultural information vital for self-sufficiency

IT IS important for officers in the business of crop protection and livestock production to have access to timely and validated information, as the nation gears towards the aim of agricultural self-sufficiency.

Part of the efforts include streamlining plant and animal quarantine, integrated pest management (IPM) and crop protection facilities in the country.

To this end, a seminar on resourcing scientific agriculture information was held at the Rimba Horticultural Centre yesterday. It was attended by over 70 officers from the Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA), Fisheries, Forestry departments under the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and other government ministries.

According to Acting Head Unit of Crop Protection, Hirman Hj Abu, the seminar hopes to share information about agriculture to the various parties.

It was conducted by CAB International (CABI) Regional Sales Manager for Asia Lina Yip, who showcased two of CABI's compendia products: Crop Protection Compendium and Animal Health and Production Compendium.

She said that both items are a product of information compiled from scientific research, detailed datasheets and images on the subject matter.

The Crop Protection Compendium contains an extensive and global coverage of pests, diseases, weeds and their natural enemies, crops that play host to insects and the countries in which they occur.

Meanwhile, the Animal Health and Production Compendium features an extensive coverage of science-based information on animal diseases, pathogens and vectors, animal husbandry, genetics and nutrition of livestock and poultry breeds and species.

During the seminar, Yip also said description of fungi and bacteria in an integrated format to help assist with future identification or confirmation of significant species.

CABI also aims to publish its products to the scientists and officers for use in their research and analysis work.

CABI is an international non-profit science-based development and information organisation.

The organisation seeks to improve lives by providing information and apply scientific expertise to solve problems within agriculture and the environment.

Dr Soetikno Sastroutomo, senior scientist at the CAB International (CABI) Southeast and Asia Regional Centre previously urged for farmers to be scientists in their own field.

"Insect curatorial techniques are equally important because it contributes to insect collection management and develops more information about pests," he said. - Leo Kasim

The Brunei Times