Improving the Lot of the Farmer: Development Challenges in Timor-Leste during the Second Decade of Independence

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Timor-Leste's first ten years of independence have been turbulent and a large share of the population remains poor. Broad-based improvements in living standards will require improvements in agricultural production since most Timorese are subsistence farmers and since there is no modern sector to absorb a fast-growing population. This paper discusses what determines agricultural development in Timor-Leste and how such development can be achieved. This is done in two steps. The first one takes the production function as its point of departure. Agricultural output is seen as a function of inputs (land, capital and labor) and technology, which in turn are influenced by the infrastructure and institutions of the economy and by external factors which cannot be influenced by policy measures. The second part, in turn, emphasizes the fact that Timor-Leste is a market economy. A model of an agricultural household is constructed. The static optimum of the household is derived and the effects on production, consumption, sales, income and leisure of the household of different price incentives (changes in food prices, cash crop prices and prices of manufactured goods) are investigated. Terms of use: Documents in

Knowledge and Practices on Antibiotic Use and Antibiotic Resistance Among Smallholder Pig Farmers in Timor-Leste

“…The average herd size and intensity of pig production in Timor-Leste is expected to increase gradually because of ongoing agriculture developmental projects ( 52 ) and rising income levels which fuels demand for animal protein ( 15 ). This might increase antibiotic use for disease prevention and growth promotion among pig farmers to meet production goals, especially if there is no concurrent improvement to existing poor animal husbandry and farm biosecurity practices ( 19 , 21 ).…”

“…Pigs are also considered valuable animals with high cultural significance (12)(13)(14). Subsistence farming is the main livelihood for many rural households (15,16) and most pigs are kept by smallholders (17), which is similar to many parts of Southeast Asia (18). Smallholder pig farms in Timor-Leste are low input and output systems (13,19), although there are ongoing efforts to improve production (20,21).…”

Antimicrobial Use in Animals in Timor-Leste Based on Veterinary Antimicrobial Imports between 2016 and 2019

“…The use of veterinary antimicrobials in Timor-Leste was even lower than countries such as New Zealand, Norway, and Iceland which are known to have some of the lowest use levels in the world [45,46]. The low level of use is likely due to the subsistence agriculture system in Timor-Leste [33,47] where there is poor access to veterinary services and medicines. The low level of use is also consistent with another study in Timor-Leste which showed that only 1% of backyard chicken farmers used commercial medicines in their animals [48].…”

“…Timor-Leste is a lower-middle income country [30] located in the south-east portion of the Malay Archipelago with a population of 1.3 million [31]. Subsistence farming is the main livelihood for most of the rural population [32,33], with a high proportion of households owning livestock [34]. Chicken and pigs are the two most commonly reared species in the country [35].…”

“…Chicken and pigs are the two most commonly reared species in the country [35]. Commercial animal farming is uncommon [36,37] but may increase with rising income levels [33]. Currently, there are two large commercial layer farms [38] and a growing number of commercial broiler farms.…”