Organic coffee produced in a demonstration coffee plantation in Timor-Leste has started to gain wider recognition thanks to the help of Chinese experts.
The plantation, located in Quirilelo Village of Aileu Municipality, is a collaboration between the Chinese government and the Timor-Leste Coffee Association established in 2021 to enhance local coffee production and quality.
With guidance from Chinese experts organized by the Chinese Embassy in Timor-Leste, coffee producers in the village have doubled their output.
"Before we received assistance from the Chinese embassy, many of our coffee trees were too old and not yielding much. After the trees were pruned and grew again, we can now harvest five to six kilograms of coffee fruit from each tree, compared to only two or three kilograms in the past. We used to collect all the coffee fruit, whether it was ripe or not, but now we only pick the ripe ones which are of better quality and heavier," said Da Costa Rui, head of Quirilelo Village.
The local coffee growers association has been cooperating with Chinese coffee producers and enterprises, and Chinese experts have been offering advice and technical assistance.
Chen Lisong, the Chinese consultant who works most closely with the association, has been visiting the plantation regularly over three years to offer support to the farmers.
"We mainly offer technical instructions, like how to prune the coffee trees, and how to increase the fruit yield. During harvest seasons, we also advise the coffee farmers how to pick fruits and process the coffee," said Chen.
China and Timor-Leste signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017. Since then, China has been supporting the Southeast Asian country's infrastructure, interconnectivity, and agriculture, including the coffee industry.
"We signed an agreement that we'd sent some of our farmers, youngest farmers, to go to there to learn and come back to implement. And I think this is very, very good. We can raise the income of our farmers, can help them to improve their livelihood. Cooperation in terms of the development of the coffee industry is very important. Because it's a win-win cooperation, it is very important for us. The principle of the Belt and Road [Initiative] brings people together, working closely, help each other, and then moving together to prosperity," said Afonso de Oliveira, the deputy chair of Timor-Leste Coffee Association.
Coffee is the among the most valuable exports in Timor-Leste. China has been assisting the counrty since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2002, with a focus on agriculture.
Coffee producers in Timor-Leste benefit from Chinese assistance
