MAF’S CONTRIBUTION IN INTEGRATING

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND EXTENSION

FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN
TIMOR-LESTE

By
Marcos da Cruz and Soekartawi
(prof.soeka@gmail.com)

Paper presented to the Conference on

‘Transforming Timor-Leste’, organized by Victoria
University and UNTL, Dili,
Timor Leste, 6-7 July 2009

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 Scale: 1:1.500.000

Map of Timor Leste (a country with 19000 km2,

1M people & 80% of whom are engaged in agriculture)

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AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
 Agriculture& rural development are
considered important for TL’s Dev’t
 This is because:
– They are interrelated each other.
– 80% of people/poor-people live in rural
areas & mostly subsistence farmers
– Most of them depending directly or
indirectly on agriculture

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(cont)
– Non farm enterprises provide around
20-30% of rural incomes
– Rural–urban linkages increasingly
important
– Both are access to basic services –
finance, advice and new technology,
transport, energy markets etc. and
assets – land, rural resources, etc.

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 ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN TL’S
ECONOMY
 Contribute 32% share in GDP
 Generate more food and raw materials at
lower prices
 Reduce poverty by increasing labor
productivity & employment in rural areas
 Agricultural growth has powerful leverage
effects on the rest of the economy

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(cont)
 Rising rural incomes, provide a
growing domestic market for national
industries
 Significant instrument for agriculture-
led development strategies in low-
income countries.

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 THE ROLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT
IN TL’S ECONOMY:
 Focusing on poverty reduction;
 Recognizing the potential of indigenous
knowledge;
 Promoting the use of participatory
approaches;
 Emphasizing community involvement;

 Adopting an holistic view of the

development of the rural space;

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(cont)
 Preparing rural people for agriculture
and off-farm employment;
 Understanding the complementarily of
urban/rural linkages;
 Developing partnerships with NGOs
and civil society;
 Mainstreaming gender issues;
 Etc.

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 Therefore Agriculture & Rural Development may
not be separated…and consequently
‘a fully fledge integrated rural
development (IRD) is needed’

 IRD includes:
Not only increasing agr. productivity, but
also encouraging non-farm activities in the
rural areas, i.e. increasing access to
education health & housing etc.-Better
coordination among partners is needed.

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 Tospeed up the implementation of IRD
the role of agricultural education and
extension for rural people (AEERP) must
be treated as important policy.

 This is because AEERP is dedicated to

bringing about transformation of rural
communities through capacity building of
rural people.

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 Policy Option
Subs AGR. EDUC &
Farm EXTENSION
ing POLICY
80%
Subsis
tence
Diver
sivied
Farm

Comer
20% cial
Non- Farm
Subs

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WHAT ARE CONTRIBUTION OF MAF?
MAF continues to:
 Provide qualified young farmers through
establishing 3 Higher Agricultural
Schools with about 300 students
 Recruit agricultural extension officers
(AEO) & allocate them to one AOE in
every village

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Assign AEO:
 to conduct adult education classes
(men & women)
 to organize farmer field schools with
both technical and basic education
 to teach rural students in agricultural
matters

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To conduct
food production skills
self-employment skills

appropriate non-formal skills

training for adults and school
drop-outs can permit rural people
to diversify their skills for a more
secure livelihood

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MAXIMIZE THE PRIVATE PARTNERS
TO EDUCATE FARMERS
MAF cooperatively working with:
 Donor agencies
 NGO
 Universities/Colleges
 Village Leaders
 Progressive Farmers
 Volunteers
 Etc.

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 CONCLUSION
 MAF believes that agricultural
education and extension in rural
areas is a basic right and an essential
prerequisite for providing quality of
agricultural labor of rural people,
reducing poverty, improving the living
conditions, and building a food-
security.
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Main Activity by Rural and Urban Areas,
According to Gender (% pop >12 yrs)

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Highest Educ Attainment of Adult Pop by R & U
Areas, Acc to Gender, 2007 (% of pop >18 yrs

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