Bilateral meeting with H.E. Marcos da Cruz, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Dili — FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and His Excellency Marcos da Cruz, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, met today in Dili during an official visit by the FAO Director-General. 

Minister Marcos da Cruz welcomed the Director-General to Timor-Leste and discussed the specific challenges faced by the country as a small, developing nation. He highlighted the severe impact of climate change on agriculture and the urgent need for FAO's support to strengthen resilience and improve farmers' knowledge of best practices. The Minister emphasized the importance of ongoing initiatives, such as capacity-building programs for farmers and efforts to enhance rice cultivation with expert assistance. He also noted infrastructure deficiencies, particularly inadequate ports, which hinder the full development of sea resources. Despite receiving international support, Timor-Leste still needs FAO's help to mobilize resources and enhance technical capacities. 

The Minister further emphasized the significance of coffee and buffalo production to the country's economy. He detailed the challenges in replanting old coffee trees, managing plantations, and improving the supply chain for buffalo. He also mentioned the potential of two national parks for innovative development, and emphasized the need for continued collaboration with FAO in this regard.

In response, the Director-General reaffirmed FAO's commitment to providing concrete support to Timor-Leste and highlighted the significant potential for developing the country's aquaculture sector. He referred to the technical expertise that can be provided by FAO in this regard, as well as for the improvement of buffalo production, and to enhance rice farming practices.

Regarding the coffee sector, the Director-General suggested for example collaboration with countries such as Brazil through FAO's South-South and Triangular Cooperation platform to benefit from their expertise in this sector and to provide training for Timorese farmers. He also encouraged Timor-Leste to leverage its coffee plantations as a tourist attraction and to promote these initiatives at international events, such as International Coffee Day. The Director-General emphasized FAO's role in supporting member countries with science-based policies and concrete action plans to accelerate agrifood systems transformation.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to deepening the partnership between FAO and Timor-Leste, focusing on addressing the country's agricultural challenges and fostering sustainable development through targeted support and collaboration.