Bandar Seri Begawan: Brunei Darussalam's annual food industry output, encompassing the agriculture and fishery sectors, saw an increase of approximately 41%, rising from $525 million in 2017 to $742 million. This growth is part of the nation's efforts to develop its food industry and enhance food security, with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism identifying six key commodities: rice, chicken, chicken eggs, beef, vegetables, and fish.
According to Radio Television Brunei, over the past three years, Brunei has achieved various self-sufficiency levels in these commodities. Paddy self-sufficiency is at 8%, chicken eggs at 103%, chicken meat at 100%, beef and buffalo meat at around 2.3%, tropical vegetables at 72%, and fish at 74%. These figures demonstrate significant progress in some areas while highlighting others that require further development.
The Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, along with entrepreneurs and farmers, remains committed to increasing the self-sufficiency levels of these commodities. The ministry, through the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, plans to implement three major initiatives to boost the country's paddy output. These initiatives include encouraging the use of high-yield hybrid rice varieties, conducting research, and testing the suitability of new rice varieties at specific locations.
The goal of increasing self-sufficiency levels in the main commodities is to strengthen the nation's food security, reduce dependency on food imports, stabilize prices, ensure an adequate food supply, and stimulate the growth of the local agriculture and fishery industry. Such efforts are expected to contribute significantly to Brunei's Gross Domestic Product.