Agriculture
From The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2013
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Growing global food insecurity has turned Brunei Darussalam’s attention back toward its farms. The government has set a goal of 60% self-sufficiency by 2015, though it is unlikely this will be achieved in that time. Self-sufficiency in rice, fruits and vegetables stood at 4.4%, 15.4% and 62.8%, respectively, in 2011. The government has planned to expand rice cultivation to some 5000 ha, but will need to attract more foreign firms and foreign direct investment to do so. In land-based activities, restricted capacities and outdated practices have blunted the effectiveness of reform initiatives, and meeting these challenges will continue to define the sector for now. However, the partnerships that have been developed with foreign firms and organisations will deliver the desired re-engineering of sector outputs in the long term.

This chapter contains an interview with Richard Chuang, Managing Director, Golden Corporation, and General Manager, Semaun Marine Resources.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Focus on food security: Self-sufficiency and increased capacity are central aims
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Growing global food insecurity has turned Brunei Darussalam’s attention back toward its farms. Pursuing self-sufficiency across all sectors over two decades, the government is funding an overhaul of sector practices with the aid of foreign expertise. The goal of achieving economic diversification away from the energy sector has led the government to capitalise upon these investments to develop a downstream food processing and agribusiness industries, which is targeted directly at regional export…

Analysis

Golden fries: Back from the edge, shrimp are set to lead the aquaculture industry
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Identified early on as a potentially lucrative source of revenue, aquaculture has taken centre stage in the reengineering of Brunei Darussalam’s fisheries industry. With a shift away from capture fisheries amidst growing restrictions on trawlers, fish and shrimp revenues are expected to reach BN$200m ($156m) by 2023, over half the fisheries industry’s total projected value. While Brunei Darussalam has 102.4 ha of fish cage and freshwater culture sites, it is the shrimp industry that will…

Interview

OBG talks to Richard Chuang, Managing Director, Golden Corporation, and General Manager, Semaun Marine Resources
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Interview: Richard Chuang we can clearly see that there will be an increase in marine activities and the farming sector in the years to come. To fulfil the demands of both local and international markets, our company plans to venture into value-added retail seafood products aimed at the mass market and finalise export to the EU and Australia. This step, facilitated by the government, is crucial for supporting local industries and encouraging them to move into international markets. How can the…

Analysis

Global recognition: The flagship halal brand is making its mark abroad
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The halal industry is expected to be one of Brunei Darussalam’s strongest economic diversifiers. Indeed it is hoped the Sultanate will come to be regarded as a serious player in expanding the global halal market, estimated to be worth an annual $2.1trn. At the head of this initiative is the Brunei Halal (BH) brand, which is slowly creating a global footprint through a series of acquisitions. Originally the idea of the Ministry of Industry & Primary Resources, commercialisation efforts…