DILI, 30 january 2023 ( TATOLI)– The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) through the National Directorate of Agricultural Extension allocated over $ 20, 538 to support the operational activities of agricultural extension in 13 Municipalities.
Speaking to TATOLI, the National Director of Agriculture Extension, Oscar Monteiro Goncalves, stated that the role of agricultural extension agents is very crucial to be assisted, and support them to harvest the local production to ensure food security in Timor-Leste.
” Every year we allocated $ 267,000 to the Agricultural Extension in all Municipalities, each municipality received over $ 20, 538 to implement their operational activities,” said Oscar Monteiro Goncalves in his office in Comoro, Dili on monday.
The activities of Agricultural Extensions workers include offering technical advice on agriculture to farmers and also supplying them with the necessary inputs and services to support their agricultural production. It provides information to farmers and passes to the farmer’s new ideas developed by agricultural research stations.
Based on these activities, the Government through MAF allocated the budget aim to support their activities.
” From over $ 20,538 will be used to pay the travel fee of each agricultural extension worker when they have the activities with the farmers in municipalities,”
So far MAF has 413 agricultural extension agents in 13 municipalities and each municipality has 32 agricultural extension workers.
These workers get paid based on their Performance in the field with local farmers.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
