Dili, October 24, 2014–On Wednesday, October 22, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Developing Agriculture Communities project (DAC) celebrated the success of vegetable farmers in Aileu District at a festival in Seloi. The event was attended by DAC-supported farmers and their families as well as representatives from the United States and Timorese governments. Special guests included several Timorese Parliamentarians and the Australian Ambassador.

During the event, the U.S. Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Katherine Dueholm remarked: “This is a model project of strong partnerships that have made a large impact on Timorese farmers’ lives. We wanted to help farmers generate income and feed their families.  All of us who contributed to this project can now proudly say that those who are participating are among the most productive farmers in Timor-Leste.”

Advisor to the President of Timor-Leste Aniceto Neves thanked USAID and Bayu-Undan for their support for the farmers praising DAC as “a good model” in improving the skills of extension staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Since 2010, USAID's DAC project has worked to improve the livelihoods of vegetable farmers in Timor-Leste.  By training 550 farmers in improved agriculture techniques, linking them to reliable buyers, and encouraging them to invest in their farm businesses to realize remarkable increases in their profits, participating farmers increases their earnings by an average of 100 percent; while top performing farmers increased their incomes by more than 400 percent. The project achieved this significant increase in incomes by assisting farmers to increase the amount and improve the quality of vegetables they produce on their land.

Participating farmers have also learned how to make their gains sustainable by protecting the environment, improving their families’ nutrition, and sharing lessons learned with other farmers. DAC’s farmers have formed the Aileu District Horticulture Association (AHDISTAL), which provides a forum for successful farmers to train others on new techniques and continue their relationships with suppliers of necessary farm inputs, such as seed, and buyers. This will allow communities to continue to work together as successful vegetable production centers.

USAID’s DAC project works with Kmanek, Dilimart, and W4 supermarkets and input supply company FarmPro to develop management skills and systems needed to consistently source local, fresh vegetables. These retailers and wholesalers provide seed and inputs to farmers, negotiate prices for agreed-upon crops, and arrange weekly trucks that visit farming communities to deliver inputs and pick up harvested vegetables. This contract farming model, combined with the management training, has improved the supermarkets’ ability to meet customer demand for fresh vegetables.