East Timor

Agriculture provides livelihoods for more than 80% of East Timorese. The similarities between the environments of East Timor and northern Australia give Australia a comparative advantage in applying its research, development and extension skills. ACIAR began collaboration with East Timorese institutions in 2000. Current projects aim to help achieve food security, reduce poverty and build local agricultural research capacity.

Under the first phase of the Seeds of Life project, a number of improved varieties of staple food crops were identified in field trials in lowland and highland settings around East Timor. Suitable varieties of sweetpotato, maize, rice, peanut and cassava have been identified. Many of these have been tested or are being tested in farmer participatory research. Some varieties are well adapted to local conditions, have tolerance or resistance to pests and diseases, and have demonstrated superior tolerance to drought and soil stresses.

A major successor program, 'Seeds of Life 2', is being cofunded by AusAID and ACIAR and delivered in close partnership with the East Timor Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). Significantly, 'Seeds of Life 2' is an Australian project that is also a program within MAF. This relationship has catalysed strong and effective collaboration. The program, with a budget in excess of $10 million over 5 years, commenced in late 2005. It continues the introduction and evaluation of improved crop varieties while devoting more resources to seed production, identification of improved crop management techniques, farmer participatory extension of identified cropping improvements, and training of MAF and other staff in seed production as well as crop research and extension. Five CGIAR centres continue to supply crop materials and expertise, while NGOs are increasingly involved in dissemination of selected varieties. By project end, it is expected that many East Timorese farmers will have adopted improved varieties and cropping technologies, and that the MAF will be able to manage field crop R&D activities with its own resources. While food aid, especially for rice, continues to risk distorting local markets and hinder incentives for local production, a large number of farmers have adopted Seeds of Life varieties.

Rehabilitation of the Agriculture Faculty at the National University of East Timor has been important in providing facilities for applied agricultural research, and in training East Timorese in agriculture. The project team has developed a new agriculture curriculum that aims to equip students to identify and solve problems in a farming systems context. Laboratory facilities at the Hera Field Station have been restored to provide practical sessions for science and agriculture students. This facility is the only working agricultural laboratory in East Timor, and a number of foreign donors also use the laboratory in their project activities. In 2006 a small R&D project funding facility was established to support focused activities addressing high research priorities.

In April 2009, a meeting involving major donors was held in Dili to coordinate agricultural development assistance. ACIAR continues to participate, and at the same time, scope the potential for longer-term support to strengthening research capacity at the university, building on the concluding mini-projects activities previously supported by ACIAR.