On June 30, 2024, the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, and several members of the Government, took part in the rice harvesting ceremony at the Manatuto Vila administrative post, in the municipality of Manatuto. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, 40, 000 hectares of rice were cultivated in Timor-Leste in 2024, of which 12, 000 hectares are in Manatuto. Despite the region’s high agricultural potential, there is still a need to strengthen infrastructure and support equipment, such as irrigation systems and modern agricultural equipment, to enable a significant increase in production. 

The Prime Minister called on farmers across the country, especially those in Manatuto, to work hard and not abandon their fields, assuring that the Government is committed to creating the necessary conditions to reduce dependency on imported rice. “Our mission is to create the conditions and promote greater production so that the money goes into the hands of all Timorese,” said Xanana Gusmão. 

The ceremony was also attended by the Bishop of the Diocese of Baucau, Dom Leandro Maria Alves, who praised the farmers’ initiative as a divine blessing. The Bishop encouraged the farmers to continue working hard, aiming for food self-sufficiency and reducing dependency on imports.

Luis Inácio Henrique Fernandes, President of Manatuto Municipal Authority, said that around 1,800 hectares of rice paddies are being exploited in six administrative posts in the municipality namely Laleia, Laclo, Laclubar, Natarbora, Soibada and Manatuto Vila.

  The harvest ceremony was attended by members of the Government, members of parliament, the parish priest of Manatuto, Father Mário da Costa Cabral, and several local farmers, all united by the common goal of achieving food self-sufficiency and strengthening Timor-Leste’s agricultural economy.