VISITOR entries to the Agriculture and Agrifood Expo 2009 in the Tungku Agricultural Development Area surpassed 27,000 by mid-day yesterday as the expo entered its ninth day since its opening on November 19, said the director of the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA).
Hjh Normah Suria Hayati PJDSM DSU (Dr) Hj Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri informed The Brunei Times that due to the popularity of the expo and requests from members of the public, the DAA is considering opening the park to the public every weekend.
She said that if opened, the park would serve as a venue for the public to jog and for families to take a stroll around during their free time.
Soon after the Friday prayers yesterday, families began to troop to the expo, with many making a beeline for the queue to the tractor ride, which is notably one of the more favoured attractions at the expo.
The tractor ride takes visitors around the Tungku Agricultural Development Area, which has been decorated with vegetable crops landscape and a variety of animal livestock exhibits.
The public can ask to be dropped off at any of the seven stop points, which have various vegetables incorporated into the design of each stop.
The DAA staff minding the queue for the tractor ride said that each tractor has the capacity to carry about 20 people on the tour around the vicinity. A total of six tractors carry out the tour which can take an unpredictable amount of time since the visitors stop and take pictures of the attractions, he said.
“On average, each tractor makes six trips and that was just during the morning (shift). The expo is open until 6pm. Imagine how many trips, each tractor makes in the day!” he said. “The queue always keeps growing even when it’s already 6pm. By then, we have to apologise to them (the public) and tell them that we are closing for the day,” he added.
The popularity of the expo has also prompted the addition of new attractions since the expo’s opening. Horse and pony rides by the Brunei Equestrian Centre (BEQ) are among the new additions.
BEQ staff managing the horse rides said that they joined the expo on November 22 and have received a “great” response from the public.
As the expo is nearing its close, the DAA has also decided to sell some of the vegetables on display to the public.
They can pick the crops themselves and buy it at promotional prices, said the DAA staff.
He added that the “pick and buy” event took place yesterday and will take place again on Sunday (November 29).
The expo is closed today for Hari Raya Aidil Adha, but will be open for the last two days on Sunday and Monday.
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