Viqueque Farmers Secure $1,028 in Exchange for Peanuts

 A Raitahu farmer tying off a bag of peanuts before it is transferred to Mr.Mario da Costa.

Back in touch with Mr. Mario da Costa, a Seed Production Officer from the Seeds of Life program, the Viqueque Matchmaking team facilitated a substantial transaction of peanuts in the rural village of Raitahu, Viqueque.

 

Farmers sorting through a mound of peanuts.

One of the biggest challenges of linking buyers to suppliers in this region is the lack of communication options available; not one of the farmers involved in the transaction owned a telephone. In spite of this, the team was able to locate enough farmers to provide Mr. Mario da Costa with 1,371kgs of peanuts, resulting in a total of $1,028 dollars that directly entered Viqueque's local economy.

Raitahu farmers standing in front of bagged peanuts.

If you have any questions about the matchmaking process or would like assistance in finding local goods and services, please don't hesitate to contact PDM-TL's Matchmaking Associates Ilidio Ximenes or Brigida Soares at Timor-Leste@pdtglobal.org.

PDT's Matchmaking program at the time of this transaction was being funded by AusAid and Eni.

Rural Businesses Advocate "Buy Local, Build Timor-Leste"

You can see it painted on billboards, advertised in restaurants, lining the sides of cars, motorbikes and trolleys, and positioned in front of PDT's four offices in Baucau, Covalima, Dili and Viqueque. Now Peace Dividend Trust's "Buy Local, Build Timor-Leste" logo and slogan can even be viewed on the walls of private businesses operating in rural regions of Timor-Leste. Joining the campaign to promote local procurement, 18 businesses proudly display the message that encourages spenders in Timor-Leste to purchase locally.

 

  

Pictured above in Covalima, Loja Caracol Lda (top) and Guest House Felanna (bottom) offered wall space to feature the display. In addition to Covalima, the logo and slogan can be seen painted on the outsides of businesses in the districts of Lautem, Manatuto, Manufahi and Viqueque.

This activity was funded by Eni.

Success for Rice Farmers in District of Viqueque

Peace Dividend Trust's Micro Matchmaking Assistants in the district of Viqueque Gilberto Amaral, Antonio do Rosario and Vasco Maria Perreira have worked together over the past four months to secure a large transaction of field rice for Mr. Mario da Costa, a Seed Production Officer from the Seeds of Life program. The PDT Viqueque team utilized their extensive network of local suppliers to find enough rice to fill Mr. da Costa's order of 64,500kg resulting in a transaction worth $32,250 awarded to Viqueque farmers.

In addition to facilitating district based transactions, PDT's Micro Matchmaking team has undergone a bit of restructuring as it has absorbed control of the Dili based Matchmaking program. All services offered by Matchmaking and Micro Matchmaking will continue to run normally, as they are both now under the leadership of the previous Micro Matchmaking Associates Ilidio Ximenes and Brigida Soares.

PDT's Matchmaking and Micro Matchmaking activities are funded by AusAID and Eni.

$18,750 of Viqueque Soybeans

In September 2009  PDT's Micromatchmaking (M3) Team in Viqueque District in eastern Timor-Leste were influential in assisting a local farmer make a large business transaction for much of his soybean crop.

PDT M3 staff Vasco M Ferreira and Antonio do Rosario assisted Mr. Alcino Soares in locating a buyer named Venancio Sequeira for his soybeans.  After making the connection between buyer and supplier 25 tonnes of soybeans worth $18,750 were purchased in Luka Viqueque for sale in Dili.  Mr. Sequeira is a middle man, buying from farmers and selling to wholesalers in Dili.  Mr. Sequeira is exploring the development of a customer base in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Viqueque Snake Fruit - Salak Midar Teb-Tebes

Interested in buying some Snake Fruit fruit?

This fruit, often known by its Indonesian name Salak, comes in both sour and sweet varieties. The Business Verification and Micro Matchmaking Teams have located the Bairo Zalacca business in Viqueque which sells Salak in addition to a range of seedlings and other agricultural products.

According to PDT staff in the field, this Salak is of the sweet variety.  Contact Bairo Zalacca or PDT at timor-leste[at]pdtglobal.org for more details.