On January 12th, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, through the State Secretariat for Forestry and the Directorate-General for Forestry, launched the 2026 tree distribution and reforestation programme in Wenunuc, Metinaro Administrative Post, Dili municipality.
Fernandino Vieira da Costa, Secretary of State for Forestry, presided over the launch and presented the plant distribution and tree-planting programme, which aims to promote reforestation and agroforestry, reinforce sustainable practices, and contribute to the protection and conservation of natural resources, particularly in the Metinaro area.
In his speech, the Secretary of State for Forestry emphasised that the Metinaro Administrative Post faces high levels of environmental degradation, advocating the continuation of tree planting under reforestation and agroforestry programmes to restore soil functions and ensure the sustainability of development activities in the region.
According to the Directorate-General for Forests’ plan, the reforestation programme in Metinaro covers a total area of four hectares, with 4,444 trees to be planted, mainly species that promote soil stabilisation and the recovery of degraded areas.
In addition to direct planting, the programme includes the distribution of forest, fruit, and commercial plants to local communities so that they can be grown on their own plots, with the aim of boosting production, facilitating eventual commercialisation, and increasing family income.
The reforested area will be monitored by local communities, who will be responsible for surveillance and maintenance of the space, including replacing any plants that do not survive, with technical support and additional plants supplied by the Directorate-General for Forests. 
The Secretary of State for Forestry also called for the active participation of communities throughout the country, encouraging them to use existing permanent and community nurseries in municipalities to obtain plants for their own plantations. The distribution and use of the plants will be monitored by technicians from the Ministry, the Secretary of State, and the Directorate-General for Forestry.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry operates four permanent nurseries in Liquiçá, Lautém, Viqueque, and Manufahi, and nine community nurseries in the municipalities of Aileu, Ainaro, Ataúro, Baucau, Bobonaro, Covalima, Díli, Ermera, and Manatuto.
In 2025, a total of 221,000 plants were produced, exceeding the initial target of 200,000 and comprising 35 species, distributed across production, conservation, fruit, and urban plants.