BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jan.16 (Xinhua) -- Bruneians interested in hi-tech contract farming will be provided with a hectare of land as a start-up, said a senior official.

"What's more, farmers won't have to worry about a sales market," ?Hirman bin Haji Abu, the Head of Crop Industry Division at Brunei's Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, was quoted as saying by local media on Tuesday.

He said local farmers are given the assurance that a local company will purchase their products.

"Aside from that, youths will need to have the passion, knowledge and resources, before venturing into this field," he said.

During a four-day program, the department assists the participants in terms of technical and fertilizing methods, while appointed companies will provide them with training by guest experts from abroad.

Among the young participants is Syasya, from the Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School, who told local media that the programme has exposed her to an entirely new approach to farming.

"The use of modern technology should increase crop production and provide a lucrative source of revenue for youths," she said.