DILI, 12 janaury 2024 (TATOLI) – Maria Villar Moreira, 49, a farmer from the village of Migir, in the administrative post of Atabae, in the municipality of Bobonaro, started growing sandalwood seedlings in her own nursery in her hometown in 2017.
In an interview with Tatoli, Moreira said that she collects sandalwood seeds herself, and having currently managed to plant 75 sandalwood trees in an area of around 500 square meters.
“When I was a child, I used to have fun pulling up the sandalwood trees my grandfather planted. Now that I’m an adult, my dream is to plant lots of them to replace the ones I uprooted. That’s why I’m willing to make seeds available to anyone who wants to plant sandalwood trees,” Moreira told TATOLI.
She explained that, initially, she learned the cultivation process by herself, but later she got the opportunity to receive technical support from the Agricultural Innovations for Communities (Al-Com) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MAPPF).
Al-Com is an organization that, in addition to providing technical support to farmers, in partnership with the National University of Timor-Lorosa’e (UNTL) and MAPPF, carries out various investigations into the growth and development of sandalwood in the country to transform forestry into a new source of income for farming communities.
“We have two research centers, one in Natarbora (Manatuto) and the other in Liquica, where we have been working on new techniques for growing sandalwood seeds, as well as using the gibberellic acid to speed up plant germination,” said Al-Com’s Technical Director, Rob Williams.
He pointed out that most Timorese farmers use sandalwood fruits as seeds, but the germination process is very slow, taking up to four or five weeks. Nowadays, Al-Com uses this hormone to reduce germination to just one week.
To protect this species from becoming endangered, sandalwood commercialization has been halted for over a decade to increase the population of sandalwood trees in the country. As a result, the commercialization of sandalwood by farmers is illegal.
Sandalwood trees have played a pivotal role in shaping the course of Timor-Leste’s history, drawing traders, colonizers, and revolutionaries to its shores.
Sandalwood has adapted to Timor-Leste’s country’s tropical climate, with its distinct wet and dry seasons.
The sandalwood tree holds a unique place in its native ecosystems, contributing to the biodiversity and balance of its surroundings. One of its most distinct characteristics is its hemiparasitic nature, where it relies on other plants for nutrients while still performing photosynthesis. This interaction, while parasitic, does not typically harm the host plant significantly, showcasing a delicate balance in the ecosystem.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
