International Training Institute

China-East Timor Agricultural Cooperation on Hybrid Rice Technology

The project of China-East Timor Agricultural Cooperation on Hybrid Rice Technology, entrusted by Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China to Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Co., Ltd. to execute, has been implemented by Longping High-tech International Exchange Center since January, 2008. This project will be terminated in January 2010. The main purpose of this project is to help East Timor introduce advanced Chinese hybrid rice technology and farm machinery by means of technical demonstration and training within two years to increase its rice yield, improve its labor productivity, promote its agricultural production, and thus obtain its national food security as soon as possible.

Longping high-tech International Exchange Center dispatched 4 experts to Ministry of Agriculture, East Timor to implement the project in January, 2008. As soon as Chinese experts arrived at Manatoto, East Timor, they started their jobs under the difficulty conditions. They worked closely together with East Timor counterparts on technical demonstration of hybrid rice and in the same time they organized different forms of technical training to East Timor governmental officers, agricultural technicians and rice-planting farmers on the site of rice-planting demonstration. On the 12th June 2008, the great officious Harvesting Starting Ceremony was organized. Around 600 guests and participants including East Timor Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, Chinese Ambassador, Ambassadors of other countries in East Timor, other East Timor governmental officers, representatives of farmers, Journalists and reporters attended the ceremony. The demonstration of hybrid rice was proven to be very successful, the average yield of hybrid rice demonstrated was tested to be 10 T/ha, and the highest yield of hybrid rice demonstrated was 17 T/ha. The media of East Timor TV station, Newspapers gave the detailed report on the success of Chinese hybrid rice demonstration and caused a great sensation in East Timor.

The successful demonstration of Chinese hybrid rice in East Timor produced an important impact on East Timor agricultural production. This great success also laid the solid foundation for the smooth and rapid extension of hybrid rice in future in East Timor, created the excellent example for East Timor to follow in finding the effective solutions to its national food crisis, and brought not only Chinese technology but also Chinese friendship into East Timor.

In this project, so far Chinese experts have organized technical training courses for 200 participants including East Timor agricultural administration officers, extension officers, agricultural technicians and farmers as well. These training activities not only presented the practical techniques the East Timor people can use to enhance their agricultural research capacity and increase their agricultural production but also deepened the friendship between Chinese people and East Timor people.

A. Technical Demonstration

Demonstration of nursery for hybrid rice

East Timor Prime Minister harvesting hybrid rice

B. Technical Training

East Timor participants are having practice

Technical meeting between Chinese experts and East Timor Agriculture Minister