Agriculture

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 In land-based activities, restricted capacities and outdated practices have blunted the effectiveness of reform initiatives, and meeting these challenges will continue to define the sector for now.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.