Expansion of Candlenut Oil Industry
Timor-Leste has been exporting candlenut oil to Hawaii since
2005, as a result of focused business assistance by USAID to
local processing factory Acelda. To expand the country’s
production of candlenut, USAID has signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as
well as various farmers’ groups. USAID also linked up
the farmers’ groups with Acelda. (March 26, 2008)
First Cattle Export of 2008
In early March, the National Cooperatives
Business Association (NCBA) and Cooperativa Café Timor
(CCT) facilitated the exportation of 70 fattened bulls from
farmer members in Covalima and Manufahi to West Timor, Indonesia.
This is the first cattle exportation activity for 2008. CCT
cattle exports to Indonesia amounted to over $150,000 in 2007.
Prospects are good for Timor-Leste’s cattle exports as
the NCBA cattle fattening project has built a reputation for
high-quality bull and the price of beef in the region is on
the rise. (March 26, 2008)
Literacy Training for Enclave's Women
Over a hundred rural women from across the Oecusse enclave celebrated
International Women's Day with a graduation ceremony from a
USAID-supported six-month literacy and numeracy training and
a workshop-exhibition that highlighted their successful small
business practices. Since 2005, USAID has paid special attention
to numeracy and business management training for Timor-Leste’s
rural women to help them identify business opportunities and
increase their income. The enclave’s women are starting
to gain a reputation in the country for being “nearly
all literate” to the credit of USAID’s local partners.
(March 26, 2008)
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Farmers in Venilale sub-district separating the whole
candlenuts from the broken ones with a simple chicken
mesh. (Photo by CRS)
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