DILI, 10 january 2026 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão inaugurated two irrigation system projects and the rehabilitated Caravela–Caicido–Baucau Airport access road on 9 and 10 January 2026, as part of government investments to strengthen agricultural production and improve local mobility in the eastern region of Timor-Leste.
In Laivai, Lautém municipality, the irrigation system inaugurated on 9 January will supply water to 500 hectares of rice fields in the sucos of Ililai and Euquisi, supporting the IX Constitutional Government’s policy to modernise agriculture and increase national rice production.
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister highlighted the project’s role in boosting food production and reducing rice imports, while urging farmers to ensure proper use and maintenance of the irrigation infrastructure.
Farmers in Laivai also received agricultural equipment, including tractors and rice planting and harvesting machines, to strengthen mechanisation and increase productivity, with the project costing US$9.36 million.
The President of the Lautém Municipal Authority Melio de Jesus welcomed the initiative, saying the project enables the reactivation of hundreds of hectares of farmland abandoned for nearly two decades, which is expected to significantly raise future rice output.
In Galata, Uato-Haco suco, Venilale Administrative Post in Baucau, the Prime Minister on 10 January inaugurated another irrigation system designed to benefit 720 hectares of rice fields across four administrative posts in Baucau municipality, including Ossu in neighbouring Viqueque, with an investment of US$14 million.
At the Galata inauguration, Xanana reiterated the importance of collective responsibility among authorities and communities to protect and preserve public infrastructure.
Also in Baucau on 10 January, the Prime Minister inaugurated the rehabilitation of the approximately eight-kilometre Caravela–Caicido–Baucau Airport road, calling on authorities and residents to help ensure its long-term maintenance.
The road rehabilitation was financed by the Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investment through the Infrastructure Fund at a cost of around US$6 million, with inspection and supervision carried out by ADN, IP.
The inaugurations in Lautém and Baucau form part of the government’s broader effort to reinforce basic infrastructure to support agricultural development and improve mobility, and were attended by government members, municipal and local authorities, institutional representatives, and beneficiary communities.
TATOLI
