Paulina Quintao – Increasing numbers of young people are turning their back on farming in favor of a job in the city, said the General-Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Cesar Jose da Cruz.
He said most farm workers in rural areas were men and women aged over 55 years old and lacked the ability to improve agricultural markets. According to da Cruz, between 1999 and 2014, 68% of older Timorese people were working as farmers as young people looked for work elsewhere.
"Most of them (young people) come to Dili and get involved in business [there] and it impacts on the agriculture sector," he said. He said many young people were making the decision to leave their family's land in the districts to look for work in Dili instead.
However, he said the ministry continued to provide farm equipment as an incentive to encourage more young people to get involved in the agriculture sector.
He said it was important to encourage young people to join agricultural cooperatives in rural areas to help strengthen food security in the country. "We need to change their minds and encourage them by making groups to strengthen rural areas and increase the country's food production," he said.
Director of HIAM Health organization Rosaria Martins da Cruz also acknowledged the sector was largely dominated by older people. To try and reverse the trend, she said HIAM Health had provided training to young people in Ermera municipality.
"We have provided training to youths to take over this job because someday the old people will die and they are the ones who must take over," she said.
Training was provided to 27 horticulture groups, mostly comprising of young people. Da Cruz said training focused on farm management as Ermera municipality had good potential for horticulture projects.
Viqueque extension agent Feliciano Soares said while some young people were getting involved in the agriculture sector many left as it was difficult to make a good living. "The youths need money as they have lots of needs, so they are looking for an easy way to earn money by working on construction projects," he added.