The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP) promised to allocate USD$100,000 of his State Budget 2014 allocation to growing the Moringa Tree in Timor-Leste because the tree is a good source of nutrition.
MAP Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino said the Moringa Tree’s leafs and fruit are used in African nations to increase nutrition in people’s health, especially in children.
Minister Sabino said in 2014 his ministry will mobilize the growing of the Moringa Tree to aid in the reduction of malnutrition in the country, in particular child malnutrition.
“We can use vacant land to grow the moringa tree rather than just leaving empty land clear,” added the Minister.
He said in 2014 the initiative to grow the moringa tree will be a priority area for the government and his ministry will also encourage communities to grow the tree in their own farms, in home gardens and at schools where the tree can be used to support the school feeding program.
Meanwhile the Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Timor-Leste, Doctor Jorge Luna, said the moringa tree has many functions and can contribute towards reducing malnutrition in the country because its leafs provide better nutrition that some other vegetables.
The moringa’s leaf can provide 20-25 per cent more protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E compared to other vegetables such as carrots, eggs, milk and fish.
“The moringa tree leaf can be mixed into the foods children already eat such as porridge. It can also be dried and ground into powder for daily consumption,” said Doctor Luna.
Ha added other functions of the moringa tree are to make a natural fertilizer, be used for food and its roots can be used as medicine. It can also produce rope and paper.
Doctor Luna spoke also of the medicinal properties of the tree in curing various ailments including diarrhoea, cough, asthma, ISPA (upper respiratory tract infections), tiredness and acne.
Meanwhile Member of Parliament (MP) Josefa Alvares Soares, from Commission D (Economy and Development Affairs) warned of the sustainability of this initiative by MAP because the ministry has tried many other programs that in the end were not sustainable.
“This initiative will not really improve people’s livelihoods. Food and crop diversity is not achieved like this. It is important to increase food production so people can eat and the rest can be exported,” said MP Pereira.
The Moringa Oleifera (Marungi in Tetun) is a very fast growing tree that can grow up to 10 metres high in warm to hot climates such as in Timor-Leste. The tree leaf or pods develop year round and can grow in arid regions with little water. The Moringa tree will grow in poor but well drained soil conditions, but will flourish in good well drained soil or sand. The better the soil quality the better nutrients leafs will provide.
