Azlan Othman
The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism held a certificate presentation to mark the closing of 7th Potential Youth Exposure Programme for Exploration in High Technology Fields at Rimba Horticulture yesterday.
Senior Plant Disease Researcher Layla Staznie binti Abdullah Lim presented the certificates.
The programme, held from April 5-May 26, is one of the ministry’s initiatives in support of the DAA’s Strategic Plan of Agriculture 2016-2022 to increase youth involvement in the agricultural sector.
It also aimed to promote agricultural enterprises as a profitable business and opportunities for youth to venture into, especially the crop industry using high technology systems to improve yields.
Participants attended briefings and visits to local farms with focus on production systems and technologies compatible with the capabilities of youth farmers including fertigation system cultivation techniques, financial management training and also marketing opportunities at local and export markets.
The programme hoped to attract more youth involvement especially those from higher education institutions.
The programme also expected to produce committed, progressive and productive agricultural entrepreneurs to drive an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) of the agricultural sector.
A participant, Pengiran Haji Mohd Wafiashady bin Pengiran Haji Momin, who grows cherry tomatoes and chillies, said the programme helped to deepen his knowledge in farm management.
“I hope to put into practice the knowledge gained and the network established to help expand my business,” he added.
“There is a market for chillies. I send my products to agro market, Brunei Halal and Hua Ho supermarket.
“My interest started in 2020 when I had only one or two trees at my home compound via fertigation and organic farming at another family plot of land,” he said.
