Source: The Brunei Times
THE Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) yesterday continued its ‘One Village, One Product’ (OVOP) initiative in Tanjong Nangka with the aim to popularise and commercialise jackfruits.
Yesterday, MIPR Permanent Secretary Hajah Normah Suria Hayati Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Dato Seri Utama (Dr) Haji Awang Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri, who was the guest of honour at a handing over ceremony of jackfruit saplings to the village, said that the ministry decided to ask the villagers to plant the fruits so that there would be “no need for a big plantation”.
She added that villagers looking after the saplings and harvesting the fruits in due time could make processed products or products for tourism from them.
“Our aim is to enrich Brunei Darussalam with indigenous fruits,” she said, adding that there are also plans to have villages in Tutong district plant some other local fruits.
“We are targeting to have about 100,000 trees, for conservation, to popularise and commercialise it, so that we can further research what we can do to make it a popular product of Brunei,” she said.
She noted that recently, mangosteen saplings were also given to Kampung Manggis.
Hajah Normah admitted that the initiative comes with challenges.
“There are technical challenges, finding out the perishability, challenges with the smell and the nature of the fruits, so a lot of research needs to be done,” she said.
MIPR’s research centre, she said, is already engaged in studies to find the potential of the local fruits and how commercial it can become. “For example, with the jackfruit, traditionally it can be used as a vegetable, the stem of the wood can be used for knife handles, and the fruit can also be turned into ice-cream,” said Hajah Normah.
She also gave the example of how dragon fruit gained commerciability and popularity.
“Before that people didn’t know about dragon fruits, and now it is very popular, so this is what we are trying to do with the local indigenous fruits of Brunei,” she said.
One hundred and thirty jackfruit saplings were given to Syarikat Kerjasama Kg Tanjong Nangka(SATENAGA), the Tanjong Nangka cooperative.
The OVOP project is a decade-long initiative under the the Ministry of Home Affairs which aims to develop and encourage economic projects and local businesses within the villages.
Since 2009, the project has progressed rapidly, and has encouraged villages to come up with their own products.
In March 2011, during the Seventh State Legislative Council Meeting,Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana KhatibDato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman said the primary concerns of OVOP initiative was to increase the variety of products being sold and to increase production, thereby bolstering village economies.