The short answer
Food security in Brunei is an uneven systems problem. The country produces almost all of some animal foods but imports most of its rice. Resilience therefore depends on productive farms, usable technology, skilled people, safe processing and trade routes that do not rely on one source.
Different levels of resilience
Selected Brunei food self-sufficiency rates
The official figures show why food security cannot be summarised by one national percentage. Rates are product-specific and dated to the reporting year.
| Product | Reporting year | Self-sufficiency rate | What the figure suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chicken | 2022 | 100% | Strong local production capacity |
| Eggs | 2022 | 100% | Strong local production capacity |
| Tropical vegetables | 2022 | 68.5% | Domestic supply covers a majority, not all demand |
| Tropical fruits | 2022 | 37.7% | Imports remain important |
| Rice | 2024 | 7.55% | Imports supplied 92.45% of consumption |
Chronology
A timeline of the turning points
BIMP-EAGA adopted a regional food-basket strategy
Brunei and its neighbours linked food security with competitive agriculture, fisheries and resilient rural livelihoods.
Agritech entered the public enterprise conversation
Agrome IQ founder Vanessa Teo presented a platform connecting farmer education, data, markets and finance.
Self-sufficiency remained uneven
Official statistics reported more than 99% for broilers and eggs, but only 9.11% for rice.
Broilers and eggs reached 100% in the official table
Rice stood at 8.4%, tropical vegetables at 68.5% and tropical fruits at 37.7%.
Local rice supplied 7.55% of consumption
The agriculture department recorded 2,348 tonnes of local production against more than 31,000 tonnes of consumption.
Food-industry roundtable focused on growth barriers
Public and private organisations examined how Bruneian food enterprises could scale, comply and reach markets.
Hybrid rice and post-harvest technology moved forward
Trials, research plans, farmer training, milling and storage upgrades formed a more integrated rice strategy.
How dependent is Brunei on imported food?
Dependence varies sharply by product. The Department of Agriculture and Agrifood’s 2022 summary placed broiler chicken and eggs at 100% self-sufficiency, tropical vegetables at 68.5% and tropical fruits at 37.7%. Rice was only 8.4%. The 2024 rice booklet recorded local production of 2,348 tonnes and total consumption of 31,097 tonnes, equivalent to 7.55% self-sufficiency and 92.45% supplied through imports.
A single national percentage would therefore hide the real system. Brunei has strong domestic capacity in selected livestock products, partial capacity in horticulture and very high exposure to imported rice. Food security policy must protect what works while managing vulnerabilities that cannot be removed quickly.
What does agritech contribute?
Agritech is broader than automated equipment. It can include farm records, soil and crop monitoring, controlled growing environments, training, digital marketplaces, traceability and access to working capital. Those tools matter in Brunei because a small farming workforce must raise consistency and productivity without assuming unlimited suitable land.
Vanessa Teo’s Agrome IQ is one local example. A Brunei government programme in 2018 presented its model as a platform for educating modern farmers and connecting data, production and market access. The larger lesson is that technology creates value only when farmers can use it and buyers, finance and distribution are connected to the same system.
Why is rice self-sufficiency difficult?
Rice has symbolic and strategic importance, but the 2024 figures show the scale of the production gap. Suitable land is limited, yields differ between irrigated and non-irrigated areas and the supply chain must handle drying, milling, storage and consistent quality after harvest. Expanding hectares alone would not solve each constraint.
In 2026, the responsible ministry described trials of higher-yield hybrid varieties, cooperation with international research institutions, plans for a Hybrid Rice Research Centre and upgrades to post-harvest systems. Farmer schools and youth participation were part of the same approach. The strategy combines seed research, soil improvement, skills and processing instead of treating one technology as a complete answer.
Does food security mean producing everything locally?
No. For Brunei, resilience means a balanced portfolio: efficient domestic production where it is viable, diversified import sources, adequate logistics and storage, safe food regulation and businesses able to adapt when costs or trade routes change. The 2026 rice policy discussion explicitly paired higher local output with diversification of supply through regional cooperation.
BIMP-EAGA adds the regional layer. Its food-basket strategy calls for smarter and more climate-resilient agriculture, stronger value chains and broader trade across Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Domestic capability and dependable trade are complements. Together they reduce the risk that any single crop failure, supplier or transport disruption becomes a national food crisis.
Continue the chronology
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Contemporary
Vanessa Teo
Agricultural technology entrepreneur and food-systems innovatorA Bruneian agricultural technology entrepreneur who connected farm management, training and an online produce market to the country’s food-security challenge.Read biographyContemporary
Haslina Taib
Chief executive of Dynamik TechnologiesThe technology executive who returned to Brunei after an international career and led Dynamik Technologies through major national digital projects.Read biographyContemporary
Hafimi Abdul Haadii
Executive director of LVK Group and regional business adviserThe third-generation Bruneian business leader whose work spans a family group, entrepreneur networks, competition policy and regional advisory councils.Read biographyContemporary
Timothy Ong
Business leader and founder of Asia Inc ForumThe Bruneian businessman who founded Asia Inc Forum and has connected corporate, government and civil-society leaders across the Asia-Pacific.Read biographyQuick answers
Common questions
- Is Brunei self-sufficient in food?
- Not across all products. Official 2022 figures showed 100% self-sufficiency in broilers and eggs, while the 2024 rice rate was 7.55%.
- How much of Brunei’s rice is imported?
- The agriculture department’s 2024 booklet reported that imports supplied 92.45% of rice consumption.
- What is agritech?
- Agritech applies data, equipment, biological research and digital services to farming and food supply chains to improve productivity, quality and market access.
- Who founded Agrome IQ?
- Bruneian entrepreneur Vanessa Teo founded Agrome IQ to connect farmer training, farm data, markets and access to finance.
- How is Brunei trying to increase rice production?
- Current measures include testing higher-yield varieties, improving soils, upgrading milling and storage, training farmers and strengthening agricultural research.
- Why does regional trade matter to Brunei food security?
- Brunei has limited suitable land for some crops, so diversified and reliable regional suppliers complement local production and reduce dependence on a single source.
Primary and institutional sources
How this history was checked
Figures are presented with their reporting year because self-sufficiency rates change with production, imports and consumption. This article was reviewed on 4 October 2026.
- Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Brunei DarussalamBrunei Darussalam Agriculture Statistics in Brief 2024 · Rice industry
- Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Brunei DarussalamAgriculture statistics in brief 2022 · self-sufficiency rates
- Majlis Ilmu, Government of Brunei DarussalamPlatform for Educating a New Generation of Modern Farmers
- BIMP-EAGA Facilitation CenterFood Basket Pillar
- Brunei Economic Development BoardUnlocking Growth in Brunei’s Food Industry
- Department of Councils of State, Brunei DarussalamInitiatives to increase rice self-sufficiency · 30 March 2026