DILI, 18 december 2023 (TATOLI)- The Loja Hakbi’it Agrikultura collected US$230.000 million, and the income was collected through social business activity from 2019 to 2023.
The manager of Loja Hakbi’it Agricultura, Teo Baldo Da Costa Soares, said the establishment of the local agriculture shop is aimed at supporting rural agriculture to continue intensifying local products and also to promote sustainable income for the local farmers.
“We have two shops in Timor Plaza and Mei Mart Shop Fatu Hada to help local farmers to facilitate market to the farmers and to help the local product to have some daily income.” This local agriculture shop comes with a concept of social business,’’ Manager of Loja Hakbi’it Agriculture, Teo Baldo Da Costa Soares, told Tatoli Agency in Fatuhada, this monday.
He added that there are over 500 local farmers from all municipalities across the territory of Timor-Leste, including Oe-cusse Ambeno (RAEOA), bringing their products to sell in local agriculture shops.
Every month, from the 5th to the 10th, the local agriculture shop will transfer the income to the farmer’s group’s bank account, with 85% of the income going directly to the local farmer’s bank account and 15% going to the respond market facility.
Mr. Soares explained that local product items sold in local market shops are composed of local rice, corn, beans, mung beans, coffee, soybeans, vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic, organic coconut oil, local fruits such as bananas, papayas, pineapples, mangoes, salak, rambutan, and others.
During three years, they sold over 60 tons of local rice in a local agriculture shop, and every year we sold 20 tons of local rice for the community to consume.
“We also sell local products that have been transformed with innovation and creativity because industrial products such as juice, culinary bread, and other local products are hygienic, contain nutrition, and are full of vitamins,’’ he said.
This program is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the agriculture minister through national direction.
Journalist: José Belarmino de Sá
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
