The Municipality of Manatuto had its irrigation system improved when the new facilities opened in Buluto, on January 18th.
The Timorese Government classified this region as one of the priority areas, aiming to increase rice production, which will contribute to greater food security and the economic development in the country. Funded largely by the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA), the Irrigation System’s Rehabilitation and Improvement Project will benefit approximately 780 hectares of rice fields, belonging to 600 families in Laleia (Municipality of Manatuto) and Vemasse (Municipality of Baucau).
This project began in November 2014 and, in addition to this technical cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and JICA, the “Project for Increasing Farmers Households Income through the Strengthening Domestic Rice” is still running, having started in September of last year and planned to end in September 2021.
Attended the opening of the irrigation system the Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Estanislau da Silva, the Ambassador of Japan in Timor-Leste, Eiji Yamamoto, and other personalities.