The author of this paper has been working at MCFARM Sendirian Berhad, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, as Deputy Project Manager responsible for the technical and engineering aspects of the operation of this farm.
MCFARM was established in response to the wish of the Government of Brunei Darussalam, who expected Mitsubishi to set up a cattle breeding project in Brunei Darussalam.
Brunei Darussalam is the oil and gas rich sultanate located in North Borneo which is enjoying prosperity and both social and economic stability. Because of the typical wet tropical climate, however, the agricultural development in Brunei Darussalam has been difficult. The difficulties encountered in the livestock industry are related to the aggressive growth of shrubs and local grasses in pasture fields and the high acidity of the soil due to the abundant rainfall. All these factors make it very difficult to maintain a stable supply of cheap feed for cattle.
In such an environment, MCFARM has attempted to develop a technology for the livestock industry which can be easily transferred to ordinary farmers in Brunei Darussalam. The efforts made in the last five years have resulted in establishing a technology for cattle breeding in Brunei Darussalam which can also be applied in other tropical regions.
The achievements at MCFARM have paved the way for the future development of the livestock industry in Brunei Darussalam which should enable the country to attain a reasonable level of self-s ufficiency in the supply of meat.
This paper introduces technological aspects in the planning, development and operation of the farm in the last eight years, with emphasis placed on the development of pasture.