Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha yesterday launched the first Brunei International Flower Show (BIFS) – held in conjunction with her 73rd birthday – at Rimba Garden Central (RGC).
BIFS is being marketed as Brunei’s biggest horticulture showcase featuring hundreds of varieties of plants and flowers alongside floral installations from Brunei and the region including Vietnam, Thailand and China. The five-day event, themed Brunei in Bloom, is being organized by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) in collaboration with RGC operator KN Nursery.
BIFS is also featuring talks on plant cultivation and business processes for horticulture import and export, alongside more general workshops for families and recreational activities like scavenger hunts, face painting and handicraft making.
Local startup Agrome IQ is also hosting a farmer’s market with 15 vendors selling fresh produce and food and drinks throughout BIFS, while creative events organizer the Collective is putting on a festival on Sunday.
The Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Hj Ali Apong said BIFS is targeted to be an annual staple on Brunei’s national event calendar that will hopefully draw tourists and promote the wider horticulture industry in the Sultanate, including emerging local businesses within it.
Brunei residents spend $7.13 million on ornamental plants annually, more than 75% which is produced locally, according to the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood’s 2017 statistics. Another $1.65 million is spent on cut flowers annually, 92.9% of which are imported.
RGC has been a central showcase for Brunei’s horticulture industry since first opening as the Brunei Agrotechnical Park in 2013, before being revamped 2018.
Watch: The first Brunei International Flower Show
