Project News

Farmers' Association of Bobonaro, CHAAKUB is working its way up to be more effective in the future by improving its current services in purchasing and sales of rice with technical support by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and the Project.

During the first cropping in 2017, the CHAAKUB managed to buy 22.87 tons of paddies from 29 farmers in Maliana I and has been currently selling them well through its Test Sales at the MAF in Dili despite all the difficulties such as budget constraint and lack of human resources.

In order to get more support and involvement from farmers, the CHAAKUB recently visited the village councils in Maliana I and explained them about progress on the Test Sales and the plan for the next cropping.

Mr. Serilio Moniz (43), Village Chief of Odomau who is the current member of the CHAAKUB acknowledged that the CHAAKUB needs to restructure itself to appropriately function in the future, while very few farmers are now aware about the existence of the CHAAKUB as the farmers' association.

Mr. Diamantino dos Reis, President of the CHAAKUB said that there were lessons learnt from the current Test Sales including the one that the rice gets discoloured after being kept for a few weeks in the container without proper inspection in the initial purchasing process.

He is also grateful for the Project support in preparing the CHAAKUB to run itself more independently by improving its services and operations as a farmers' association as well as by promoting its domestic rice to the market.

On the other hand, Mr. Shinji Hironaka, the Project Expert on Agricultural Distribution and Sales requested the CHAKUUB to continuously promote its Test Sales to generate more incomes to the association, while recommending the CHAAKUB to make another products out of the rice such as Rice Powder and Pop Rice.

For the second cropping, the CHAAKUB has planned to buy approximately 50 tons of paddies from farmers in Maliana I with a vision to expand the sales to other places in the future.

The Project will continuously support and facilitate the CHAAKUB in being able to implement its purchase and sales of rice more effectively, while respecting the ownership of running the association.

The CHAAKUB visiting the Village Council.

The CHAAKUB visiting the Village Council.

Current rice processing activities at the CHAAKUB.

Current rice processing activities at the CHAAKUB.

Project provides Basic management training to CHAAKUB staff.

Project provides Basic management training to CHAAKUB staff.