DILI, 12 december 2022 (TATOLI)-The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) supports farmers in Viqueque to process six local products, which are accessible to the domestic market.
ADRA National Director, Virginia Pycroft said ADRA has been working with farmer groups in Viqueque municipality since 2010 to intensify local produce and provide a value chain that links farmers’ products to markets.
“ADRA comes up with the Health, Agriculture, Protection and Sustainable Empowerment (SHAPE-TL) program to support farmers linked their products to the domestic market,” ADRA’s National Director, Virginia Pycroft said in her remarks at the Joao Paulo II Meeting Hall in Comoro, this Monday .
At the same time, SHAPE, Project Manager, Moises Pinto Henrique explained that SHAPE is a project implemented by ADRA which aims to increase food security and income of farming communities as well as increase economic security for women and girls.
Meanwhile, the focus is on expanding the quantity and quality of four local products, namely coconut, ginger, candlenut, and cassava.
“ADRA together with 12 cooperatives based in Viqueque have launched six local food products such as MINUVI (Viqueque Coconut Cooking Oil), MINUVI VCO (Viqueque Pure Coconut Oil), RALVI (Viqueque Ginger Candy), BALVI (Viqueque Ginger Powder), Coconut Ailia Bar, and Coconut Chips,” Henrique said.
Secretary of State for Cooperatives, Elizáriu Ferreira said it was a great outcome for farmers to process local produce, produce it, and send it to market.
“Cooperative groups need hard work from farmers, to process local products and process them until these products reach the market,” he said.
The ARDA project in 2021 has helped establish 12 farmer-based cooperatives and with the support of many partners, these cooperatives have been able to achieve consistency and delivery of quality products to customers.
Ambassador of New Zealand, Philip Hewitt said New Zealand has been working in partnership with the government of Timor-Leste to help the country meet its economic diversification goals, and local food products and agricultural value chains hold significant potential for the country.
At a time of rising food prices, this can help domestic food markets while also creating export potential: “We are proud to support ADRA’s efforts to utilize local natural resources to become processed products to be able to compete with imported products,”
This launch marks the official entry of the products to the domestic market in Timor-Leste after a long process of production experimentations, customer testing, and laboratory analysis.
So far, the Sustainable Health, Agriculture, Protection and Empowerment program (SHAPE-TL) works with 6,000 farmers in 15 villages (Bahalara Uain, Bibileo, Caraubalu, Luca, Uma Quic, Uma Uain Leten, Uma Uain Craic, Dilor, Ahic, Uma Tolu, Nahareca, Ossorua, Uabubo, Ossu de Cima no Loihuno) in Viqueque Municipality.
This project is funded New Zealand Embassy in Timor-Leste and is worth 2,336,742 New Zealand dollars or 1.4 million USD.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
