| Rokiah Mahmud |

THE country will soon get a taste of the Sembada 188 hybrid rice, following the first harvest carried out yesterday, with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam gracing the launching ceremony.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Bulletin, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong said that Brunei currently has five to six per cent of self-sufficiency in rice production, which is very low.

“Therefore, our ministry has been implementing efforts and strategies to increase the country’s self-sufficiency through two methods: by using a high-yield hybrid variety and by developing more land for agricultural development,” he said.

“His Majesty has already consented to the opening of a new area for commercial rice cultivation in the Kandol area of the Belait District, covering 500 hectares of land; and it is hoped that this will further boost our country’s rice production, from six per cent to 15 per cent in self-sufficiency”. The minister also urged local farmers to exercise good management for their agricultural plots, including the use of water irrigation and fertilisers.

“We hope that the Sembada 188 will go on to produce another yield,” he said. “Right now, we are expecting a crop production of eight tonnes from the Titih variety.”

The Sembada 188 project was the result of a collaborative scheme carried out by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) with PT Biogene Plantation of Indonesia.

Before deciding on the Sembada 188, the research project underwent three planting trials using the Sembada B9, Sembada 626 and Sembada 989 rice varieties.

Out of the four, the Sembada 188 was chosen for its capability to produce twice the yield compared to other varieties.

The rice seeds were imported from Indonesia through Yaz & Wyn Enterprise, a local company appointed as the sole distributor for Brunei Darussalam.

The rice field, located at the Wasan Agricultural Development Area (KKP Wasan), covers 38.2 hectares of land leased to 21 farmers from the Setia Kawan Cooperative (KOSEKA).