Dili, August 19, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry (MAPPF) Holds Annual AI-COM Phase II Meeting, Marked by the Launch of the Biochar Manual and Camellia Tree Book.
As part of the Government of Timor-Leste’s efforts to strengthen sustainable agricultural development, improve soil fertility and increase agricultural productivity in the country.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, good, quality and sustainable food production must start with good land management, because land is an important component to support plants and animals.
“If we want to provide plenty of food, with quality and sustainably for the market, we need to improve soil fertility and increase productivity. Many components are involved in agriculture, but the most important component is the land. Therefore, we must invest in and manage the land well, so that the land remains productive and fertile to support plants and animals.” said the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, at Timor Lodge, Comoro, Dili, Tuesday (18/08/2026).
He emphasized that the results of research on biochar align with the Government’s policy to develop organic agriculture. According to him, producing quality and organic food is very important so that Timor-Leste can increase its competitiveness with products from other countries.
“If we want to increase production, we must start with the land component. We must look after and care for the land so that it does not lose its fertility. Research on biochar is very important because it aligns with our organic agricultural development policy.” he explained.
Marcos da Cruz also expressed appreciation to the Australian Government and universities that continue to support the development of the agriculture sector, especially through research and seed development.
He said that to date Timor-Leste has 19 seed varieties that have been released, and considers seeds to be an important component to increase agricultural productivity.
“We truly appreciate the support from the Australian Government and universities for projects and work in the agriculture sector. To date we have 19 seed varieties that we have released. Seeds are an important component, because the land can be fertile, but if the seeds are not good, productivity will be low. Therefore, we need to continue developing seeds to increase productivity.” he said.
He said that the camellia tree is a wealth and historical heritage of Timor-Leste that needs to be protected and developed, because camellia can become a source of non-oil economic income for the community.
“The camellia tree is one of our assets and has a long history. We know that in the past, during Portuguese times, people came to our land to look for camellia. But now we see that camellia in Timor is becoming scarce.” he said.
He added that the Government needs to continue to protect camellia and control camellia cutting activities, because camellia has the potential to contribute to the national economy.
On another note, according to Researcher Julieta Lidia, the launch of the Biochar Manual book is important because it provides guidance to communities on how to produce and use biochar as organic fertilizer for crops.
“Today’s event is very important because we are launching the Biochar Manual book. Biochar is a residue that we burn with a specific process and can be used as organic fertilizer. In this research, we focused more on rice husks that for many years people have mostly just thrown away.” Julieta Lidia explained.
According to her, biochar can be applied to various crops, including vegetables, watermelon, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potato and corn. Research results show that biochar can be used for a long time and, even if applied once, it can continue to benefit the soil and productivity.
“We have been doing research on biochar for eight years. The results show that, even if we apply biochar once, we can continue planting in that same place and still get good results and continued production.” she said.
Julieta Lidia said that research on biochar began in 2018 and to date has been carried out in most municipalities in Timor-Leste. Oe-Cusse Municipality has not yet been directly included in the research, but the team will provide training on how to produce and apply biochar in the field.
“From 2018 until now, this research has been carried out in many municipalities. Oe-Cusse has not yet been directly included, but we will provide training on how to burn and apply biochar in the field.” she said.
She added that research results in municipalities such as Baucau, Viqueque, Manatuto, Maliana and Liquiçá showed a significant difference between areas that used biochar and control areas.
“The results showed a very significant difference. When biochar is applied, productivity increases compared to the control area. There are about more than ten research technicians who are cooperating in other municipalities to carry out the research.” Julieta concluded.
The research on biochar is supported by ASEAN through AI-COM, with the objective of finding sustainable alternatives for land management, utilizing agricultural waste and increasing agricultural productivity in Timor-Leste.
Reporting: Tarinee Santina
Photo: Nelson Ferreira