DILI, 2 december 2021 (TATOLI) – The second harvest of rice in Aidaba-Leten and Rairobu village of Atabae Administrative Post of Bobonaro municipality showed a decline in production due to damage caused by insects.
Maria da Conceição, a rice farmer from Aidaba-Leten village informed that the majority of rice farmers experienced a decline in rice production after harvesting their rice.
“Last year this time, we got more than 60 sacks per hectare, but not this year because insect Nago had completely destroyed our rice crops,” Conceição told TATOLI in Atabae, on wednesday.
She said Nago began attacking the rice fields two months ago when the crop began to form its seeds: “At the time, the farmers immediately spray their rice crops (Nakroma and Mebrano) with pesticides but unfortunately we couldn’t make it to save the rice crops.”
“It’s a big loss for us as farmers because we have spent too much money on the cultivation process. For instance, we pay farm tractors up to US$50 for digging the soil and US$5 for transplanting the rice crops. That’s the result and we need to accept it,” she said.
Conceição called on the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoAF) to support the local farmers with pesticides to combat Nago from destroying the rice fields next year.
In addition, another farmer from Atabae, Bebeto Cardoso, also called on Government to increase the price of the locally grown rice, adding the current price is not enough to support the daily life of rice farmers.
“The Leohora Company is contracted by the National Logistic Center (NLC) every year to buy our rice with only US$0.45 per kg. It’s not enough for farmers as we have to spend too much money on the cultivation process. We want the government to at least increase the price up to US$0.55 per kg,” Cardoso said.
He also called on MoAF to support farmers with farm tractors to facilitate local rice cultivation to increase rice production in the country.
Following the agricultural census of 2019, the report shows that 60% of families have been doing agriculture activities across and estimates property size of 219.250 hectares.
The reports published the statistical data and included the first estimates from the June Agricultural Census. It shows the agricultural property areas in Bobonaro are more extensive than other regions in other municipalities, which is 41.000 hectares. In comparison, Emera district has 40.000 hectares, Baucau 25.000 hectares, while the Lautém only has 8.555 hectares, Manatuto hectares 3.371.
The result also shows within 141.738 hectares of agricultural property, there are 141.141 which belong to families, and 597 properties are private institutions.
Journalist: Sérgio da Cruz
Editor: Evaristo Soares Martins
Translation: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
