Project News

The ACELDA, a private company which deals with sales of rice is currently facing shortage of domestic rice to supply for its customers like supermarkets and shops in both Dili and Baucau. Normally, to minimize the transport cost, the ACELDA purchases paddies only from the nearest areas like Buluto. However, since the first cropping of this year in Buluto will be started from June, the ACELDA has no choice but to look for other places so that it can constantly provide supply of domestic rice to its customers. On the other hand, although harvesting for the first cropping of this year in Maliana II has started, farmers in the area are still facing difficulty in finding buyers to sell their produce. Under such circumstances, the Project facilitated the ACELDA and farmers in Maliana II in helping them to address the current issues above.

Mr. Higino da Costa Freitas, President of the ACELDA thanked the Project for connecting his company to farmers in Maliana II at the time when he urgently needed to resupply its current stock of domestic rice. He said that although there is a long distance of travelling between Baucau and Maliana with the high transport cost, he was pleased to see that significant number of farmers in the area wanted to sell their produce to the ACELDA. Despite those two challenges, he mentioned he is looking forward to coming back to Maliana II for buying more rice in the future as the ACELDA expands sales of the domestic rice to a few restaurants in Dili.

Mr. Eugebio dos Santos (52), a farmer from Memo Village, Maliana II said that he had been long waiting for the buyer to come and buy his produce. Therefore, after he listened from the Project team that the ACELDA would come to Maliana II, he quickly finished up his harvesting and packed his paddies to be ready for selling them in front of his house. Since many farmers in his village wanted to sell their produce, he did not want to lose the chance and sold his paddies of 2,390.5kg. Another farmer, Ms. Candida Pereira (58), who used to sell her paddies in the past to other rice supplier, said that she is very delighted to have cash in hand after selling two tons of paddies to the ACELDA. She assured that although the rice was sold from home, its freshness is guaranteed. She continuously mentioned that if the ACELDA comes back in the next few days, she will sell more from her other paddy field which is now under harvesting.

Mr. Shinji Hironaka, the Japanese expert on agricultural distribution and sales said that by introducing the ACELDA to the farmers in Maliana II, the two can be mutually benefited. In other words, the ACELDA can tackle its current supply issue of domestic rice, while farmers in Maliana II can get some income from selling their rice and improve their lives.

During the first visit in Maliana II, the ACELDA bought the paddies of about 9 tons and distributed around US$ 3,600.00 to the farmers in the area. Half of the rice will be used by the ACELDA to restock its supply and another half will be used for its promotion activity to restaurants in Dili at the end of this month.

The ACELDA purchasing rice from farmers in Maliana II (1).

The ACELDA purchasing rice from farmers in Maliana II (2).

The ACELDA‘s staff paying cash to the farmer (1).

The ACELDA's staff paying cash to the farmer (2).

A farmer from Maliana II looks happy to have the cash at hand after selling their paddies (1).

A farmer from Maliana II looks happy to have the cash at hand after selling their paddy (2).