BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Brunei is striving to increase rice productivity through introducing China's hybrid paddy varieties that are adaptable to the country's environmental conditions.
According to local media on Tuesday, this was stated by Haji Ali, Brunei's minister of primary resources and tourism, at the opening of a training course titled "Hybrid Rice Yield Increasing Technology in Brunei Darussalam," conducted here by China's Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co., Ltd.
The 45-day training course, which began on Nov. 15, is jointly organized by Brunei's Department of Agriculture and Agrifood and Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co., Ltd with the support of China's Ministry of Commerce.
"Brunei's total rice production in 2016 was only 1,500 metric tons. The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood aims to increase this to 11,500 metric tons by 2020, by implementing several initiatives that include increasing the productivity of paddy per hectare in irrigated areas by using high yielding hybrid varieties," the minister said.
The minister added that hybrid paddy technology can have a significant impact on rice production, generate more revenue for farmers and ensure sustainability of the country's rice industry.
