The Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, and in partnership with Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), held a certificate presentation ceremony yesterday for seven young individuals who have completed a basic financial management and fundamental plant management training session conducted by experts from the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood and BIBD.
BIBD Head of Government Relations and Special Projects Yusri bin Haji Wahsalfelah presented the certificates.
Acting Director of Agriculture and Agrifood Abuzar bin Haji Mohd Tahir was also present.
The Youth Agripreneurs training programme spanned over two days.
The training aimed to introduce participants to the skills required for initiating vegetable cultivation enterprises, including techniques for planting, fertilisation, disease control, business administration, and profitable financial management.
The training programme will continue with practical training and exposure through placement programmes in highlighted plant fields, serving as exemplary models for the participants. BIBD’s involvement as a financial institution providing initial capital injection has instilled motivation and confidence among the youth to venture into the desired fields of agriculture.
Such assistance is highly anticipated by young individuals aspiring to begin their careers as agricultural entrepreneurs.
With the collaborative project between the MPRT and BIBD, the challenge of securing start-up capital, often faced by youth, no longer remains a major obstacle to the government’s initiative of fostering youth engagement in the agricultural sector as a lucrative career option.
The effort also contributes to the enhancement of gross domestic product (GDP) within the agricultural sector.
Participant Khairul Anuar Sham bin Mohd Khir said his interest in agriculture began when he had to take care of his father’s fields while his father was out of the country.
“I had to step up and take care of the harvests, watering the plants and so on. Slowly my passion grew and tried to grow my own crops including chillies, eggplants, Japanese cucumber and even okra,” he said.
He added, “Today’s course taught me about the importance of bookkeeping – we can find out our weaknesses and figure out how much we should and shouldn’t spend for the business to grow.”
He said he hopes to grow his agricultural business in the future and be one of the biggest distributors for the country’s food source. – Adib Noor
