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East Timor

  1. Overview
  2. Country Strategy
  3. Priorities
  4. Key Program Managers
  5. Current Projects
  6. Concluded Projects
  7. Achievements
  8. Relevant Publications
  9. Country Portfolio
  10. AusAid and Other Briefs
  11. Fellowship Statistics
Overview

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 to assist this new country. 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. Two ACIAR projects commenced in early 2001:

  • the Seeds of Life project, which aims to improve crop production through introduction of planting material of major staple crops, testing to find those that are better adapted to Timorese conditions, and distributing them to farmers
  • rehabilitation of the agriculture faculty at the National University of East Timor.

The first phase of the Seeds of Life project has now concluded. A number of improved varieties of staple food crops were identified in field trials in a variety of lowland and highland settings around East Timor. Suitable varieties of sweet potato, maize, rice, peanut and cassava have been identified. Many of these have been tested or are in the process of being tested in farmer participatory research. Some varieties appear well adapted to local conditions, have tolerance or resistance to pests and diseases, and have demonstrated a sufficient level of 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). The program, with a budget of almost $8 m over 5 years, commenced in late 2005. It is expected to continue 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 international CGIAR centres will continue to supply crop materials and expertise, while NGOs will be involved in the extension where possible. 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 research and development activities with its own resources.

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 and management facility was established to support focused activities addressing high priorities in agriculture.