“This is the Brunei farmers’ future. From this farm they will get their seeds for rice farming,” said Dr Eulito Bautista, OIC deputy executive director for research, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to the Philippine Embassy officials during a visit to a new seed production farm in Pengkalan Mau, Lumapas, Tutong recently.

Dr Bautista gave a briefing on how PhilRice, a Philippine government research and entrepreneurial institution, has been helping Brunei rice sector moving forward.

The Brunei Darussalam-Philippine rice technical cooperation project involves the technology adaptation trial of Philippine modern rice varieties in the Tutong farm, said Dr Bautista.

“This February, 20 students at the Wasan Vocational School will take up a one-month training course on farming at the PhilRice’s laboratory and training facilities in Nueva Ecija, Philippines,” Dr Bautista told Philippine Ambassador to Brunei, Alexander B Yano and Minister Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat.

The Brunei agriculture technologists are interested in an intensive training on rice and rice seed production. Because seed growers have yet to be trained, Muara participants are concerned about quality seed production approaches at the level of farmers. Training goals and strategies will be aligned with the training needs assessment (TNA) in rice science and technology of the agriculture technologists in Tutong, Temburong, Belait and Muara. The locals will be trained through fieldwork, hands-on demonstrations, field tours and interaction with their Filipino counterparts.

Dr Bautista, his feet caked in mud, continued briefing the Philippine Embassy officials: “Preparation for the experimental farm in Pengkalan Mau started last Dec 18, 2009. Four rice varieties from the Wasan demonstration farm were planted here on Jan 3, 2010. Two hectares were planted for seed production and three hectares are reserved for expansion. It will ensure the production and distribution of rice seeds needed by Brunei farmers.” The use of certified seeds can result in a 10 per cent increase in yield compared with the farmers’ home-seed seeds, PhilRice studies showed.

PhilRice is helping Brunei farmers to increase their grain yield, improve its quality, and efficiently use fertiliser and water. Crop yields vary in different locations due to differences in indigenous soil nutrients, the soil’s physical characteristics, pest incidence, the seed variety used, crop management practices, and climate.

“Brunei’s current rice production status has many areas for improvement but its pursuit of rice sufficiency is possible through our technologies,” said PhilRice Executive Director Ronilo A Beronio. “It has all the financial means to bring about the necessary enabling environment to increase its rice production.”

PhilRice OIC Deputy Executive Director for Development Ruben B Miranda conducted a training and assessment (TNA) to help Brunei increase its rice sufficiency level.

The TNA found out that the average yield in the four districts is roughly 11/2 hectares due to the lack of technology and suitable varieties for peat and acid sulphate soils. Irrigation systems have yet to be put up. Machinery for land preparation in peat soils has yet to be introduced.

“Drainage is difficult in Brunei farms since water remains below the soil surface. The soil surface in raised beds dries up quickly due to the intense heat.

“Deep mud in some parts of the fields is also a problem during land preparation and direct seeding.

“Leaf folders, wild ducks, sparrows, rats and neck blast, the common rice pests, cause rice up to 30 per cent yield loss.

“Brunei farmers use the slow ‘Yatab’ way or particle harvesting, causing grain shattering and excessive losses through breakage during milling.

“Brunei could hardly practice synchronous planting, risking bird infestation and pest pressure. Heavy use of pesticide causes imbalanced ecology. A fallow period of at least two months breaks the insect pest cycle and destroys disease hosts,” PhilRice said.

The Philippines and Brunei Darussalam signed on April 27, 2009 a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their ties in agriculture-related trade and investments.

The 2008 rice crisis and the feared global economy freeze in the next 10 years has prompted Brunei to strengthen its domestic agricultural production, specially rice.

PhilRice scientists and research and development support personnel were in Brunei from March to May 2009 to help the country significantly improve its rice production, in the face of its difficult soil and water problems.

During this time, rice production and management practices were demonstrated to Brunei agricultural technologists by the senior team members. They included PhilRice Executive Director Atty Ronilo A Beronio; Dr Eulito Bautista, OIC deputy executive director for research; Dr John C de Leon, plant breeder; Dr Constancio A Asis Jr, soil scientist; Evangeline B Sibayan, water and irrigation engineer; Dr Mariussa Romero for grain quality evaluation; Thelma Padolina, plant breeder, and De la Cruz Jr, consulting plant breeder and team leader for technical operations.

PhilRice has developed rice-based technologies adaptable to local conditions and fit for production or farming systems. Its training system aims to develop skills and harness capabilities of farmers in the field, promote technological strategies, give basic rice production principles to help make sound decisions on rice farming and solve issues and problems.

The Filipino rice experts taught Brunei’s rice researchers, extension workers and farmers how to carry out and monitor rice and seed production systems. The future rice producers at the vocation school were told and shown how to grow rice. They were introduced to basic activities in crop establishment, planting and fertiliser and herbicide application.

The experts showcased at the Wasan experimental farm the minus-one element technique (MOET). This technique checks the soil has enough nutrients for the rice seed, and guides farmers in the use of fertiliser. MOET uses a pre-weighted, low-cost fertiliser formulation from PhilRice to know the nutrients present in the soil and those needed to nourish the plant well.

They introduced the PlayCheck System, a package of rice technologies and practices for improved yields.

Patterned after Australia’s Rice Check, PalayCheck includes key checks on seed quality; land preparation; crop establishment; enough number of healthy seedlings; and nutrient, water, pest and harvest management. It helps farmers to realise their target yield, make a lot of profits and benefits out of rice farming.

PhilRice demonstrated at Wasan rice machines for harvesting, gathering and threshing to make farm work lighter, comfortable and profitable. These mechanised harvesters were developed to reduce cost and improve efficiency. They were highly expensive machines re-engineered to be easily dismantled and be carried and transported by one person.

“With the use of grass cutter-harvester, harvesting is easier and faster. Rice machines like the riding hand tractor, laboy tiller, plastic drumseeder, grass cutter harvester, reaper, thresher, dryer and seed cleaner were showcased in the Wasan demo farm. Manual harvesting means high labour cost, low efficiency and high field costs, PhilRice said.

Brunei used to harvest only 0.7 tonne per hectare of palay. Its rice production at 80kg per capita consumption can feed only three of every 100 residents. Brunei has 3.12 per cent rice sufficiency level and imports the rest from Thailand (29,252 tonnes of rice in 2007), which is almost 100 per cent of the Sultanate’s domestic needs and buffer stock, PhilRice said.

However, with Philippine Department of Agriculture-PhilRice’s technical support, an average of 4.5 tonnes per hectare was attained at a one-hectare demonstration plot within the Wasan Vocational School last year.

The Laila harvest proved that Brunei is capable of producing four times the average yield of previous rice varieties, said Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

Compared to Thai Hom Mali, Laila has higher protein content and more or less equals Brunei’s Pusu and Adan rice varieties in calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and fibre content. Laila was an IRRI-bred BDR-2 variety. It averages 6.8t/ha and matures in 110 days.

Phil Rice said it is helping Brunei increase its 2007 self-sufficiency level of 3.15 per cent to 20 per cent by 2010 and to 60 per cent by 2015.

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