The donation was made as part of a two-year program being implemented by the National Council for Food Sovereignty and Nutrition of Timor-Leste and the FAO in the municipalities of Covalima, southwest of Dili, and Viqueque, in the eastern part of the country. The program is funded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals Joint Fund.
The donation, which includes the distribution of 28 hand tractors and 28 rice threshers, was distributed to 28 farmer groups from eight sucos (groups of villages) in the municipality of Viqueque and will benefit 280 people.
“Each group received a set of equipment designed to support local agricultural activities and improve efficiency in soil preparation and post-harvest processing,” explained the Timorese government.
Government data indicates that this region of the country has approximately 4,000 hectares of agricultural land, but only 300 hectares are currently cultivated.
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About a year ago, the Government of Timor-Leste launched a Multisectoral National Action Plan on Nutrition, which aims to reduce stunting – which affects nearly half of Timorese children under the age of five – to less than 25% by 2030.
Government data indicate that 47% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, 8.6% from acute malnutrition, and 32% are underweight and have deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, and iodine.
