Brunei’s Primary Resources and Tourism Minister Dato Seri Setia Dr Abdul Manaf Metussin (left) with China’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Han Jun. - MPRT
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation in Beijing on Dec 25, 2024.
Signing the MoU on behalf of the Brunei government was Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Abdul Manaf Metussin, while China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Mara) Han Jun, signed on behalf of China.
China has continuously supported and collaborated closely in advancing and developing Brunei’s agriculture industry, by providing various training and capacity building programmes including in research and development across various fields, amongst others in the rice, crop and livestock sector.
The signing of this MoU further deepens the strong agricultural cooperation between the two nations.
The cooperation aims to contribute to increase the production of primary sectors and is aligned with the Brunei Darussalam’s objective in enhancing food security, particularly in addressing gaps within the rice industry value chain, including through utilisation of high yielding rice varieties.
The implementation of collaborative projects and strong support from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, will enable Brunei Darussalam to achieve significant milestones including the potential partnership with relevant agencies and private sectors from China for the possible establishment of a National Rice Research Center.
The potential project under the MoU will also focus on enhancing technical expertise to bolster the production of hybrid rice seeds, serving as an additional strategy to strengthen the rice value chain in Brunei.
The cooperation underscores the critical role of China, particularly in providing essential resources and support, including the supply of hybrid rice seeds, engagement of technical and experts, provision of facilities and equipment.
Ahead of the signing, the ministers held a bilateral meeting to exchange views on progress and potential developments in cooperation in the food sector.
They reaffirmed the commitment to enhance cooperation in food security, including agriculture and fisheries sectors, as agreed during the leaders’ meeting between Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in 2023. – Borneo Bulletin/ANN
