USAID-Backed Training Yields Bumper Crops

Farmers in the Loes Valley, 50 kilometers southwest of Dili, are preparing to harvest a bumper crop of corn, rice, and other vegetables with help from USAID. Three farmers' groups with 87 members have learned improved agriculture techniques from a USAID-supported national NGO, which also offers the farmers access to tractors for mowing and plowing. The groups have planted more than 170 acres this season and expect their yields to double and their incomes to increase dramatically with their improved growing and marketing skills.