BRUNEI Darussalam is mulling to export chicken to Japan and Korea, said the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong.
“The ministry is opening up opportunities to new local farmers and foreign investors interested in poultry farming in the country not only for local consumption but also exporting. We are looking to export to Japan and Korea and discussions are ongoing with relevant agencies in this regard,” the minister told the Sunday Bulletin yesterday on the sidelines of his visit to Riza Fudhlana Farming located at the Agriculture Development Area in Kampong Bebatik, Kilanas.
“Our market is small and for our local farmers to expand the business, they need to penetrate the overseas market,” he said.
Riza Fudhlana Farming utilizes closed-house chicken cooling system technology which can accommodate 20,000-23,000 chickens per round.
Asked about the visit, the minister said, “I found the development of this poultry farm overwhelming where 500,000 chickens were produced in 2012 which doubled in 2013. The farm is expected to produce about two million chickens this year and four million in 2019.
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong listening to Riza Fudhlana Farming Managing Director Pengiran Haji Haris bin Pengiran Haji Duraman during the visit to the farm. – AZLAN OTHMAN
“Through the utilization of closed-house chicken cooling system technology, the temperature inside the chicken coop can be controlled depending on the growth of chicken. Chicken feeding cleaning operations are automated. This is important as it reduces the rate of chicken death.
The ministry continues to help monitor the farms under the Agricultural Development Area to ensure that the site is utilised in accordance with the conditions set out and following best practices in infrastructure development, nutrition, disease prevention and maintaining cleanliness of chicken coops and the workers – all that have contributed to reducing the rate of chicken death to below five percent,” the minister added.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood said it continues to support poultry farming through advisory services, provision of suitable areas for farming and introducing high technology.
“This will further enhance the production of broiler chicken for the local market and open up opportunities to penetrate overseas markets,” the statement said.
One of the efforts under the department’s farm standards programme is monitoring of Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP). The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood has always encouraged farming operators to practice GAHP to ensure the health of animals.
In order to improve the quality of livestock farming towards increased productivity, good disease control, and quality products, entrepreneurs are encouraged to embrace GAHP in livestock farming.
The goal of GAHP is to improve the quality of farming towards creating a quality and productive farm. Apart from that, it emphasizes biosecurity aspects of farms, health, and safety of workers, the well-being of livestock and measures to mitigate environmental impact.
Management of farm records is also important to facilitate the detection of diseases and to ensure the quality of a farm, the statement noted.
Currently, the department is actively undertaking several programmes to upgrade existing farms through high technology absorption, the use of Good Preservation and Biosecurity Practices and monitoring of livestock diseases.
Accordingly, the department advised poultry entrepreneurs to make use of technology within their enterprises.
Riza Fudhlana Farming is one of the subsidiaries of Riza Group and the business is carried out on a six-hectare plot at Tanah Tuah Agricultural Development Area in Bebatik Kulapis.
At the time of the company’s establishment, there were only two poultry houses and the company continued to grow with the addition of two closed housing cooling systems in 2015, said Pengiran Haji Haris bin Pengiran Haji Duraman, Managing Director of Riza Fudhlana Farming.
In 2017, there were nine units of coops operating, with a total production of 1,750 metric tonnes of broiler chicken worth B$7.9 million. The company is planning to add more coops in 2018 with a capacity of 25,000 chicken per cage.
Chicken coop handling works at Riza Fudhlana Farming are carried out by foreign workers, while in the management side, the majority of workers are locals.