Vice-MCIE Addressed FAO Roundtable Meeting on Timor-Leste’s Situation

“Timor-Leste is small country with population size of 1.2 million and 70% of these are living in rural areas and depending on agricultural sector. Thus, it is important to promote this sector development to reduce poverty, provide food security and promote economic growth in rural areas”. Said vice minister Nino Pereira at fourth FAO ministerial Meeting, in Rome, 3^rd of October, 2016.

Vice minister of Ministry of Commerce Industry and Environment (MCIE) Nino Pereira took part the meeting addressing the audience on Timor-Leste’s situation, and representing Government at Ministerial meeting on long-term commodity price trends and sustainable agricultural development. The meeting was organized by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This fourth roundtable meeting was concerning on trade, food security and nutrition. Those issues considered important due to relationship between trade and food security, and nutrition is also considered attracting increased attention on both trade and development agendas. 

Globally, about 793 million people are still undernourished, and approximately two billion people lack enough access to micronutrients. For that, ending hunger by 2030 is key goal in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and trade is one of the means to achieving this goal.

Responding on this issue, Government of Timor-Leste is now investing hard on agricultural sector and that Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery has invested significantly in agricultural infrastructure, machinery, and provision of subsidy for seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, drugs, nets and boats. 

In addition, capacitating young farmers and improving agricultural capacity is also such a serious attention. MAF has established a platform for building a national system of agricultural research, rural extension officers, institutional capacity building, creating and strengthening farmer associations. 

“However, there are still significant challenges to overcome. At the micro level, agriculture sector still faces food and nutrition security, poverty reduction, low productivity of major commodity, population pressure and rural-urban migration, high expectation in SDP, poor infrastructure, poor coordination and linkages, climate change, natural resource depletion and degradation.” Added vice minister.   

In that case, Timor-Leste currently faces a number of constraints such as low level of productivity, inputs and technologies.  Moreover, the country confronted with high losses due to pests, diseases, basic post-harvest handling, uncertain land rights, and under-investment in agricultural lands. 

To support sustainable agricultural development and other linkages programs, the VI Government has begun the implementation of the “Guide for Economic Development Reform 2015 -2017” and areas has been reformed are tax system, labor system, private investment, invest and export promotion agency, Trade-Invest Timor-Leste and fiscal reform. 

However, Government of Timor-Leste is committed use legal frame work, policies and strategies in efficient and effective way to overcome changes and constraints hinder sustainable agricultural development, thus, this sector can contribute to eradicate poverty and improve living standard of the nation’s people.   

Accordingly, it is required paying attention on global issues of trade, food security and nutrition. Trade helps balance food deficits and surpluses across countries, facilitating the availability of food and contributing to the price stability. By integrating national and international food markets, trade can help absorb domestic supply and demand shock that could otherwise result in excess domestic food price volatility. Covering local shortfalls and smoothing out price swings are especially important in view of challenges posed by climate change. 

At the meeting, FAO report, global trade in food and agricultural products has grown almost three-fold in value terms over the past decade. In the medium term, the growth in global food demand is projected to slow down as population growth and income growth in key economies decelerate.  

The rise of international food trade, especially imports, is often associated with speeding up a nutrition transition to food types characterized by high calorie and low nutritional contents that can lead to an increased incidence of obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases. This a growing concern in middle and high income countries and emerging economies. 

This roundtable meeting was attended by estate member’s delegates and taken part also the ministers and deputy of the relevant ministry. The opening speech of the event was, the Minister for Commerce of Central Africa, Minister for Commerce and Industry of Papua New Guinea, Minister for Estate Coordinating Economy of Cameron, Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Ukraine, and Vice-Minister for Commerce, Industry and Environment of Timor-Leste. [Media G.VM]