Officials of Timor-Leste's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MLFF), led by Secretary of State for Livestock Hon. José Vieira de Araujo, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 29 May 2025 to explore areas of collaboration, particularly in strengthening Timor-Leste's carabao industry.
Accompanying Secretary de Araujo were Mr. Carlos Antunes Amaral, General Director of Livestock and Veterinary; Mr. Agusto Barros, National Director of Livestock and a SEARCA Scholarship alumnus; Mrs. Elizabeth Purificação Luan Mali, Executive Secretary; and Mr. Julio Cesar Sequeira Amaral, Media Officer. Representatives of the Timor-Leste Embassy in Manila joined the delegation.
Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, welcomed the visitors alongside Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, Senior Program Head for Education and Collective Learning; Ms. Sharon Malaiba, Unit Head for Partnerships; and Partnerships Unit staff.
Secretary de Araujo expressed strong interest in partnering with SEARCA for the agricultural development of Timor-Leste, particularly in strengthening their carabao industry. The focus areas include milk production, breeding practices, value addition, and market access.
Dr. Sombilla shared that SEARCA and the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) had previously conducted a value chain analysis of selected carabao-based products in Luzon, Philippines. The analysis recommended specific interventions to boost the competitiveness of the country's carabao sector. Dr. Sombilla suggested exploring a similar study for Timor-Leste in collaboration with PCC.
Moreover, Secretary de Araujo sought institutional development support for Timor-Leste's national universities and colleges. Dr. Cuaresma said SEARCA has previously supported Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL) with scholarships for its faculty members. Building on this, Secretary de Araujo expressed interest in further promoting SEARCA's graduate scholarship opportunities in his country to attract more Timorese applicants. To date, 69 full graduate scholarships have been awarded to Timorese nationals. Additionally, the visitors requested assistance in building the capacity of their technical staff.
Discussions also covered scaling out SEARCA's School-Plus-Home Gardens Program in Timor-Leste, with possible integration of carabao products. Dr. Sombilla also proposed updating SEARCA's Southeast Asian Agriculture and Development Primer Series, which covers agricultural policies and reforms in Southeast Asia, including Timor-Leste, to reflect changes in the region's agricultural landscape. In addition, she recommended that the SEARCA alumni working at MLFF reinvigorate the SEARCA Alumni Association in Timor-Leste (SAAT) and organize a conference replicating the success of the 2nd Regional SEARCA Fellows Association Conference on Food Security, Poverty Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, which was hosted by SAAT in 2015.
Secretary de Araujo (left) gifts Dr. Sombilla (right) a tais, Timor-Leste's handwoven traditional textile
The potential partnership between SEARCA and MLFF holds great promise for enhancing both agricultural research and education in Timor-Leste. As a Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) center of excellence in agriculture, SEARCA is dedicated to strengthening institutional capacities and bridging the gap between policy and technology in agricultural and rural development across Southeast Asia, including Timor-Leste.