The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MAPPF), together with the Australian Government, has implemented the Toos ba Moris Di’ak (TOMAK) program over 10 years to support a total of 696 farmer groups across three municipalities: Baucau, Bobonaro and Viqueque.
Secretary of State for Fisheries (SEP), Domingos da Conceição dos Santos, said the TOMAK program is a strategic partnership between the Government of Timor-Leste and the Australian Government to strengthen the agriculture sector, improve nutrition and support the livelihoods of farmers in rural areas.
“During the implementation of the TOMAK program, it has covered 124 sucos across the three municipalities. It involves a total of 696 farmer groups in agriculture and nutrition activities,” said Secretary SEP Domingos da Conceição at Novo Turismo Hotel, Dili.
He added that the program provided support to farmers through training such as good agricultural practices, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, agribusiness and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), aimed at increasing farmers’ capacity to improve production and agricultural resilience.
“Through this support, farmers are able to increase their capacity and improve agricultural production, thereby contributing to food security and better living conditions for rural communities,” he said.
He noted that the Government of Timor-Leste, through MAPPF, also expressed appreciation to the Australian Government for its support during the implementation of the TOMAK program, which he considered an important contribution to the development of the agriculture sector in Timor-Leste.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Kbi’it-Laek Group, Lusiana Guteres Ximenes from Baucau Municipality, said they have experienced significant benefits from the program, as through the training and technical assistance received, they are now able to farm using improved methods and increase crop production.
“I feel happy to participate in this program, because through TOMAK we learned many things, such as how to manage land and how to grow crops like cassava, taro and others. The support we received includes water profiling, pipes and hoses for water supply, as well as training,” she said.
She explained that increased production not only helps provide food for their families but also creates opportunities to sell produce in local markets, thereby increasing household income. For this reason, many communities consider the TOMAK program an important initiative that improves living conditions in rural areas.
In the same context, Team Leader Renato Zrnic from the TOMAK Program said that over the years the program has supported farmers through training, market access and improved production techniques. He added that TOMAK also helped farmers increase food security and boost household income in rural areas.
“This result shows that the program has had a positive impact on the economic conditions of farming households. The TOMAK program also focuses on social inclusion through the involvement of women, people with disabilities and youth in agricultural activities. It also contributes to reducing post-harvest losses and improving nutrition in rural communities,” he said.He explained that through partnerships with 85 market actors, farmers participating in the TOMAK program have gained better opportunities to sell their agricultural products.
