Seeds of life

Locations

The Seeds of Life (SoL) head office is located within the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) compound in the capital, Dili. From here our office staff support SoL activities in seven of the 13 districts of East Timor.

During the first two years (2005-2007) of SoL2 we worked in four districts: Manufahi, Aileu, Baucau and Liquiça. These districts were selected as they represent the varying agro-ecological zones in Timor-Leste. On-Farm Demonstration Trials (OFDTs) have been installed in 73% of the sucos (administrative divisions) in these four districts.  In the district of Liquiça the coverage is 91%.

In 2007 we expanded into the districts of Ainaro and Manatuto, and in 2008 into Bobonaro and Viqueque. We stopped working in Manatuto in 2008 due to logistical challenges related to the remote location of the trials in the in the far south of the district.

Within each district we have between two and seven researchers whose job is to establish variety trials on farmers’ land. Each researcher is assigned to a sub-district and is responsible for establishing 15 trial sites per crop (maize, sweet potatoes, cassava, peanuts and rice). Each trial site consists of two new varieties which have been tested on research stations and proven higher-yielding than local varieties, and a local check. Our field staff are mentored not only by MAF District Staff and Directors but also by two SoL Research and Extension Advisers: one responsible for the districts of Aileu, Ainaro, Manufahi and Viqueque and the other for the districts of Baucau, Bobonaro and Liquiça.

SoL technologies have been extended into Bobonaro, Oecusse and Manatuto through collaboration with NGOs. Working with the MAF Food Crops division, seed production activities have occurred in Lautem, Baucau, Manatuto and Bobonaro.

We will gradually expand until we are operating in 11 of the 13 districts, with seed production activities in the majority of these districts.