Rice fields covering an approximate area of 60 hectares in Laklo Administrative Post, in Manatuto Municipality, were damaged, affecting rice production, due to recent flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
The Director of Agriculture of Manatuto Municipality, José Soares, said that the flooding that occurred due to heavy rain over several days, which caused water levels to rise, damaging the irrigation system in the area, causing water to not flow properly to irrigate the rice fields.
“Heavy rain damaged the irrigation at important points, so water did not flow to the rice fields covering a total of 60 hectares. The soil became dry and this damaged the rice that had just been planted,” said José at the hall of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MAPPF) in Comoro, Dili.
He explained that the irrigation system in that area has a very important role in sustaining agricultural production, especially rice, because most farmers depend on irrigation water to ensure good growth of their crops.
He highlighted that, to respond to this situation, MAPPF, through local technical teams, has already taken quick action to repair the damages to the irrigation system. The repair work includes cleaning canals blocked by soil and fixing broken sections.
“Up to now, the repair process is ongoing. In some places, water has started to flow into the rice fields again, but it needs time for the system to fully return to normal,” he added.
He stated that this case shows that the irrigation system needs regular maintenance and planning to prevent natural disaster risks, especially during heavy rains. Flooding not only damages agricultural production but can also affect food security and the income of rural communities.
He explained that the government will continue to monitor the situation in the affected area and prepare other measures if needed, to help farmers recover from the loss to their production.
Meanwhile Francisco Amaral, a farmer from the Laklo area, expressed great concern about the losses they face, caused by flooding.
“We had already planted all the rice and invested a lot of time and energy, but suddenly heavy rain came, caused flooding and damaged the fields. Now some of the rice has spoilt, and we will face losses,” said Francisco.
He also said that although MAPPF managed to repair parts of the irrigation system in a short time, the impact on production cannot be fully avoided because some of the rice has already been lost.
He stated that even so, the community appreciates the government’s efforts, especially MAPPF’s quick response to the problem, and they hope that remaining repairs to the irrigation systsem will be completed soon so that the rice that was not damaged can be salvaged.He added that after this incident, the farming community in Laklo hopes that in the future there will be a stronger and more resilient irrigation system that can face climate change natural disasters, to prevent damages like this from happening again.
