Over the past couple of months Peace Dividend Trust’s (PDT) matchmaking team in Cova Lima District (Antonio “Fahik” Alves, Angelita Guterres and District Representative Domingos Amaral) on the south coast of Timor-Leste have been working on a “healthy” deal for the local cattle sector. While it takes some 6 hours or more to drive to Cova Lima that does not mean there is nothing going on down there. In fact its a beehive of activity in some ways.
An Indonesian firm based in Atambua named UD Pertama, and managed by Alowsius Lay, came looking for a cattle supplier some time ago. PDT staff put him in touch with a regular PDT client, Raflima, based in Tilomar sub district. The PDT team then assisted Raflima in sourcing cattle from around the region in order to fill the order with UD Pertama. The cattle crossed the border a week ago!
The burgeoning cattle trade between Timor-Leste and Indonesia is causing alot of interest in the Timorese media. Last night it was featured on the nightly TVTL news. This is due to the fact that it is some serious money for poor rural districts. This one transaction of 150 head of cattle pulled in over $67,000 for Raflima and its Timorese suppliers. A rough and ready comparison suggests that’s equivalent to about 50 full time jobs for a year. Big beans indeed.
Matchmaking in Cova Lima has been funded since January 2010 by AusAID, prior to January 2010 and from July 2010 Eni will support it.
Tags : covalima matchmaking micromatchmaking suai Timor-Leste
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