Brunei Darussalam is not the smallest country in Southeast Asia, by land size but it is the smallest by population. With around 440 thousand people in total, according to IMF, Brunei has the second highest GDP (PPP) per capita of US$76,860 in ASEAN region. And according to Brunei Ministry of Finance and Economy, in terms of GDP contribution by economic activity in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, the industry sector contributed 60.8 per cent, followed by the services sector 38.3 per cent and the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector 0.9 per cent. Brunei economy is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas exploration and that’s what most people, not only in Southeast Asia but global communities view. However, little did we know that the country’s income from the agricultural sector has been steadily increasing in the past decades; without a doubt it also has few challenges to ponder upon.
Thriving Agricultural Sector
Neighboring with Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo, Brunei is considered a small but wealthy country. Typically, in Southeast Asia, every country is developing their agricultural sector, as it plays a strategic part to achieve food security and economic diversification. National efforts have been taken to improve its agricultural income, from utilizing technology for its agricultural activities to involving the young people—encouraging them to get into the agricultural sector; regional cooperation with other ASEAN countries has become a strategic partnership to boost its agricultural production in recent years.
The government has been expanding land for farming in recent years to boost the agricultural production and subsequently agricultural income. Rice farming has been the main focus of the country’s agricultural activity. Through the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA), to support the increase of rice farming, the government has been increasing the budget allocated for rice cultivation by investing in new technology, irrigation systems and its farming programs—all of these efforts are to support Brunei’s self-sufficiency and food security.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Not only Brunei but almost all ASEAN countries have been casting a shadow of the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and the current global economic uncertainty. Not forget to mention the ageing workers in the agricultural sector and how to encourage the younger generation to get involved in agricultural activities to support the country’s vision of self-sufficiency. Nonetheless, the pandemic was sort of a reset period for all sectors including the agricultural activities, to conduct research and technological advancement to support the future of agricultural development—what worked and what not. It was also a time for the young people to learn more about different knowledge and science that would directly impact their future. The government of Brunei has been more proactive in engaging the young population in the agricultural activities, merging them with what they like and know best—technology. The tech-savvy generation is now learning more about agriculture in the country’s educational institutions and apply their disciplinary knowledge and theoretical science into practice in the agricultural fields across the country.
The Way Forward
Keeping what the government of Brunei has been doing on track: involving intergenerational agricultural workers, the elderly and the young in the sector to make sure the practical knowledge transfer is in place. So that the aging agricultural workers can teach their practical knowledge in agricultural sector to the younger generation and how the younger generation can sustain the practice in the future with their knowledge and technological advancement deemed to be important and workable in the field. Talking about national self-sufficiency and food security is not only about one thing at a time, but how to work on multiple variables all at the same time. The country also needs to consider regional partnership with its ASEAN countries, at least with its closest neighbors, Malaysia and Indonesia to develop and expand its agricultural production in the future and to aim its national target or self-sufficiency in the near foreseeable future.
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