(Tetum) Lino Rui de Andrade (36) is a maize farmer living with his wife, Atina, and their three children in aldeia Nakroma, suco Fuiloro, sub-district Lospalos, district Lautem.
Lino is an active farmer, and registered commercial seed producer, who implements good agriculture practices developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and Seeds of Life (SoL). He became involved in commercial seed production in 2013, having started growing seed crops in 2011.
(Tetum) Soon to rock Timor-Leste are up to 11 varieties of sweet potato, beans and rice that are currently being tested for suitability with over 500 farmers across the country.
If the varieties perform well and prove useful to Timorese farmers, they will be officially released and distributed through the National Seed System for Released Varieties in the next two years.
(Tetum) In rural Timorese communities, a large portion of people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. As agriculture is often seasonal, this can mean incomes can be as well. During the harvest, most farmers have a source of income sufficient to cover their needs, but during other times of the year there are often no savings to pool from.
