Together We Help HIAM-Health organization is continuing to provide training on nutrition-sensitive agriculture to extension agents working in the municipalities of Timor-Leste.
The Executive Director of HIAM Health, Rosaria Martins da Cruz, said the aim was to strengthen the role of extension agents in promotingnutrition-sensitive agriculture and reduce malnutrition rates in the country.
She added that nutrition-sensitive agriculture is a strategy that aims to underpin nutrition considerations across the sector, as well as improve rural livelihoods.
“We provide training on how to look at the problems that happen in the communities and their (extension agents) role is to solve the problems,” said Martins in her office at Aimutin, Dili.
She added that part of that role is to assist farmers to grow other nutritious crops following the rice harvest.
“The families have a big rice field, but after they harvest they do not plant anything else and it is the role of extension agents to introduce this to communities,” she said.
The same training was provided to extension agents based in the municipalities of Bobonaro, Liquisa, Manatuto, Baucau, Viqueque, Aileu, Same, Ainaro, Lautem, and will also be extended to Covalima and Oecusse.
She said while the government’s policy of placing technical personnel in the sukus (villages) was a good initiative, the government needed to create better conditions for transport, seeds and agriculture materials so its services are more effective.
Meanwhile, Feliciano Soares, who works as an extension agent, said the training had been very useful as it had given them a better understanding of how they can support rural areas farmers and to solve their problems.
“It has opened up our minds on how to develop modern agriculture in Timor-Leste,” he said.
He added that one of the biggest challenges agents faced was the remoteness of communities and that because of long distances, it was often difficult for them to cover all the areas and provide assistance.
The training for extension agents was facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery (MAF), as well international agency GIZ and other development partners.
