The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

Timor-Leste National Seed System

Providing the farming families of Timor-Leste with secure access to quality seedContents
Summary .............................................................................................................................................1
About the National Seed System ...............................................................................................4
Yield advantages of varieties.................................................................................................5
Varieties released in 2016.......................................................................................................6
Objective of the National Seed System....................................................................................7
Components of the seed system ................................................................................................8
Crop identification and development .................................................................................. 10
Source seed and quality control ............................................................................................. 12
Commercial seed ........................................................................................................................... 14
Community seed ........................................................................................................................... 18
National Seed System management ...................................................................................... 20

Cover image: Members of the all-women contract grower group in Natarbora with packets of their certified Noi Mutin maize seed (Photo:
Jessy Betty). Below: Francisca in her Ai-Luka 2 production plots in Maliana (Photo: Felixberto Ximenes).

“The good yield fromMAF released varieties
provided enoughfood for my family
and contributed to myfamily’s income”
Francisca Magdalena Pinto,
member of CSP Unidade
Sameklot in Maliana

Summary
The National Seed System provides the farming families of Timor-Lestewith secure access to quality seed of productive varieties of food crops

Quality planting materials
of proven food crop varieties
are available to farming
families at suco andaldeia level at planting time
Farming families avoid
poor quality seed andvarieties not suited to
growing conditions in
Timor-Leste

The Timor-Leste Government saves
money by not having to buy, storeand distribute costly imported seed

Secure access to local quality seeds of more productive varieties enables
Timor-Leste’s farming families to grow enough to eat and extra to sell
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) through the Seeds of Life (SoL) program worked for morethan 15 years to increase food production in Timor-Leste by researching and releasing improved varieties ofstaple crops (maize, rice, cassava, sweet potato and peanut) and legumes (kidney beans and mung beans).
Up to the end of SoL mid-2016 the 19 varieties released had 24-131% higher yields than commonly used
local food crop varieties. These varieties are adapted to local conditions and can be saved for replanting thenext season to again produce more food. These varieties not only produce more, they give farmers morechoice over the types of crops they grow to eat or sell and help increase biodiversity in Timor-Leste.
To ensure farmers can readily access good planting materials of these varieties MAF and its development
partners established the National Seed System (NSS) so that sufficient quantities of high quality planting
materials are produced each year by each Municipal Seed System (MSS) and made available to farming
families in every municipality, suco and aldeia so they have reliable access to good seed at planting time.

The objective of the NSS and each MSS is to ensure enough seed of improved varieties is locally produced
each year to meet about one-third of total national seed requirement, therein enabling the Government ofTimor-Leste to achieve its objectives of national seed security and national seed sovereignty.

Above: Martinha da Costa Boavida, chief of Moris Foun community seed production group in Baucau shows some of her group’s Hohrae 1
sweet potato cuttings (Photo: Alexia Skok)

1

Summary

Servicing farmers with secure access togood seed of improved varieties is theresult of all components of the National
Seed System working together

1 Crop identification & development

MAF Research Department identifies, selects anddevelops superior food crop varieties for official release
after extensive testing on research stations and in onfarm demonstration trials with farmers.

2 Source seed and quality control

MAF contract seed growers (CSG) use foundation seedfrom Research to produce seed under strict supervision
by MAF Seed Department which buys and processes ashigh quality certified seed.

3 Commercial and community seed

Commercial seed producers (CSP) use MAF certified
seed to produce quantities of commercial seed understrict Guidelines and MAF supervision. Community seedproduction groups (CSPG) produce community seed fortheir own and neighbours to use.

4 Seed system management

The National Seed Council (NSC) assists the Ministry,
its Seed Department and each MAF Municipal Office
to implement the National Seed Policy (NSP), monitor
annual seed demand/supply and set annual certified
and commercial seed production targets.

Productive varieties = more
food for farmers
The improved varieties are:1. Superior in some way, be it higher-yielding, more

nutritious, tasty or more resistant to wind, drought or
disease

2. Public domain so farmers will never have to pay forusing them

3. Rigorously tested for at least five cropping seasonson research stations and farmers’ fields to ensure they
are adapted to local conditions and traditional farming
practices

Right: A farmer displays some of their Utamua peanut harvest. Utamua has a 47%
yield advantage over other peanut varieties (Photo: Conor Ashleigh)2

4. Productive in and ofthemselves. No extra

inputs such as fertilizer orother expensive inputs are
required to get good results

5. Pure line or openpollinated varieties,

none of which are hybrid
or genetically modified.
Farmers can save and replantseeds each year.

Multiplying seed to make it accessible to farming families

Summary

For the benefits of the improved varieties to reach farmers, enough seed must be produced for commercial
and community spread. The figure below shows how this is done by multiplying seed from class to class.
The circles represent the quantity of seed for each class.

Seed classes& indicative quantity

For seed production

BreederFoundation

Certified

For food production

Commercial

Community

Description

High-cost, high-quality seedproduced by MAF on researchstations.
High-cost, high-quality seedproduced by MAF on researchstations.
High quality seed produced
by MAF contract seed growers(CSG) under strict quality
control guidelines and regularsupervision. Currently only
MAF process, test, package anddistribute or sell certified seed.
Produced by registeredcommercial seed producers(CSP) under MAF guidelines,
supervision and seed testing.
Each CSP package, label andsell their seed under the Finiba Moris brand of the National
Seed System

Community seed productiongroups (CSPG) locally produce,
store and use this low-cost
seed by following MAF’sbest practice advice on seedproduction, selection and safe
airtight storage.

Physical purity

99.9%

99.9%

98%

95%

Not
guaranteed3About the National Seed System
The National Seed System has
been established to provide
the farming families of TimorLeste with secure access togood, locally-produced seed
and planting materials. These
are available in sucos andaldeias* at planting time,
thereby improving local seed
security and food security.

The National Seed System(NSS) operates according to the
National Seed Policy and wascollaboratively developed by the
Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries
and NSS stakeholders.
Nineteen varieties of maize, rice, sweet potato,
cassava, peanut, mung bean and kidney bean havebeen released to date, all after rigorous testing.
These high-yielding varieties produce substantial
on-farm benefits and help increase biodiversity
in Timor-Leste. Research continues on stations
and farms to identify new and/or preferred local
varieties for future release.

By improving access to these improved varieties
at aldeia and suco-level, farming families can
avoid having to use poor quality seed or varieties
less suited to growing conditions in Timor-Leste.
Instead, they benefit from using varieties that are
higher yielding, more nutritious and better adapted
to local conditions, thereby reducing their risk of
suffering serious food shortage.
To meet this seed demand, MAF works with
Timorese farmers to produce good seed locally. Bypurchasing local commercial seed the Timor-Leste
Government can save money by not having to buy,
4

store and distribute imported seed. Local seedpurchases by MAF and local commercial input
suppliers returns much-needed cash to Timorese
farmers and provides new business opportunities
for the emerging commercial agriculture sector.

A National Seed Council (NSC) composed ofstakeholder representatives advises and assists
the Ministry to oversee implementation of the NSP
and NSS, the development of Seed Regulations
and a relevant and comprehensive Timor-Leste
National Seed Law.
Ultimately, the National Seed System will help the
Timor-Leste Government achieve national seed
security and seed sovereignty and enable farmers
to grow more food and move beyond subsistence
into commercial agriculture.

* In the Tetum language suco means village and aldeia means
hamletAbove: These farming family members from Maliana, Bobonaro
district, are happy to be growing Sele maize (Photo: Alexia Skok)Yield advantages of varieties
The 12 varieties initially released by the Ministryfollowing extensive testing have the yield advantages
over other varieties listed below.

Utamuapeanut47%
Large peanuts, stable growing
capabilities, tolerant to late leaf
blightOn average farmers
estimate a 57% yield
increase using improved
varieties compared toother varieties
Nakromarice

24%

Excellent eating rice, semi-fragrant

Hohrae 1

Hohrae 2

102%

91%

Hohrae 3

Ai-Luka 1

131%

43%

sweet potato

White flesh, moist texture, can begrown at all elevations, sells for agood pricesweet potato

Orange flesh, moist texture, very
high in vitamin A, sells for a good
price

Ai-Luka 2

cassava46%

Non-fibrous tasty roots, excellent
eating variety

Sele

maize

sweet potato

Cream flesh, crumbly texture, agood breakfast sweet potato, tasty
young leaves

cassava

Non-fibrous tasty roots, bitter
variety, good for industrial use

Ai-Luka 4
cassava15%

Non-fibrous tasty roots, slightly
bitter

Noi Mutin
maize

50%

46%

Suwan 5

Nai

54%

50%

Yellow maize, sweet when picked
early, resistant to strong winds anddrought, requires airtight storage

maize

Yellow maize, requires airtightstorage

White maize, suitable for all areas,
good cooking & eating qualities,
requires airtight storage

maize

Yellow maize, requires airtightstorage5

Varieties released in 2016
Fleixa - RW
kidney bean

54%

Purple seed, adds good colour torice when cooked together

Ululefa - RW
kidney bean

73%

Pink seed, can harvest more than
three times

Darasula - CIP

Sia - LT

119%

110%

sweet potato

Red skin, orange flesh, very high in
Vitamin A, four months to harvest

Kiukae - AVmung bean

30%

Shiny green seed coat, harvest
once

sweet potato
Purple skin, purple flesh, contains
antioxidants, four months toharvestLakateu - AVmung bean

29%

Dull green seed coat, potential forsecond harvest

Nakroma 1

rice

27%

White, aromatic, earlier to maturethan the other Nakroma

6

Below: Minister Estanislau Aleixo da Silva introducing a newvariety of rice with Australian Ambassador Peter Doyle (Photo:
Felixberto Ximenes)

Objective of the
National Seed System

The objective of the National Seed
System is to ensure sufficient
good seed of improved varieties is
produced each year to meet 33% of
total national seed requirement.
This ‘one-third rule’ for the amount of improved
varieties in a seed system ensures seed supply
and crop biodiversity is maintained across all
agro-ecological zones. The balance (60-70%) of
the seed farmers sow each year comes from thetraditional seed system including farmers’ own
stocks, the village market or barter and exchangewith friends and relatives. The NSS exist alongside
the traditional seed system which is also being
strengthened by selected pilot communities being
assisted to identify preferred local food crops
varieties and establish community seed banks sofarm families have additional seed options andmore diversified diets.
Research on new varieties will continue to enable
more marketable introduced and local varieties tobe evaluated and included in the NSS so farmers
have secure access to a diverse range of quality
seeds and crop biodiversity is maintained inTimor-Leste.

Farmers across the country can access good
planting materials and seeds of improved varieties
from capable and well-trained community seedproduction groups (CSPG) and competent,
registered commercial seed producers (CSP) as
well as commercial seed distributors in the formof agriculture lojas and kiosks. Seed production ineach municipality is coordinated by the municipal
seed team in each of MAF’s 13 municipal offices
to ensure there is a seed balance at the municipal
level and equitable distribution of seed to farmers.
ANAPROFIKO, a national association representing
all CSP, collaborates with MAF to ensure
its members produce more than sufficientcommercial seed to meet MAF’s annual seedrequirements with the balance available for saleto agriculture lojas in municipal towns, to NGOs
and to other development partners for use in theirvarious projects.

As MAF increasingly reduces its handouts of free
seed the commercial sector is being encouraged to
expand commercial seed distribution.
Above: Members of the Lacabasi commercial seed producer groupat work in Meligo, Bobonaro district (Photo: Alexia Skok)

7

Components of the seed system

12

Crop identification anddevelopment

Source seed and quality control

Maize, rice, peanut, sweet potato, kidney
bean, mung bean and cassava

Small amounts of high-cost breeder, foundation andcertified seed are produced under highly- controlled
conditions to ensure the physical purity of eachvariety is maintained by:

Research continues to identify productive varietiesof new legume and staple crops. These activities
are undertaken at:

6 research sites representing all theagro-ecological zones of Timor-Leste (Betano in
Manufahi, Loes in Liquica, Darasula in Baucau,
Quintal Portugal in Aileu, Urulefa in Maubisse andin Manatuto).

Over 500 farms where farmers growimproved varieties in on-farm demonstration
trials (OFDTs) to see how the crops perform underlocal farmer practices and the range of soils,
weather conditions, slopes and aspects that occur
in Timor-Leste.

Below: A farmer in Maliana shows some of his Utamua peanut
harvest (Photo: Alexia Skok)

8

Pure Seed Officers producing high quality

foundation and breeder seed at MAF research
centres.

MAF contract seed growers producing
quality certified seed under very close supervision
by staff of MAF Seed Department who process (dry,clean, test, package) and safely store the certified
seed.

6 seed warehouses located in Aileu, Baucau,
Betano, Loes, Maliana and Viqueque, including 3
well-equipped purpose-built facilities (in Baucau,
Betano and Maliana) used by MAF Seed Department
for processing and storing certified seed.
Seed Analysts using two regional seedlaboratories at Betano and Triloka and a national
seed laboratory at MAF Comoro to maintain quality
assurance of all breeder, foundation, certified andcommercial seed produced under the NSS.

Components of the seed system

34Community & commercial seedproduction

Seed system management

Seed of maize, rice, peanut and otherfood crops

The National Seed Council (NSC) assists MAF to
manage and implement the National Seed System(NSS) and the National Seed Policy (NSP).
The NSC is composed of representatives of all
NSS stakeholders including seed users/CSPG/
farmers, CSP (through the national association,
ANAPROFIKO), NGOs working in agriculture, loja
agricultura (through the national association,
ANSA), commercial foods & feeds processors, theacademe and religious sectors. The NSC has threecommittees responsible for (i) approving variety
release, (ii) coordinating seed planning andproduction, and (iii) ensuring that all NSS seed isof high quality.

Large quantities of low-cost good qualitycommercial and community seed are produced
locally in all municipalities for use by farming
families. This is achieved by the activities of:

69 registered commercial seedproducers. In the 2015-16 cropping season

these 69 commercial seed producers (CSP) wereauthorized to produce 300 metric ton (Mt) ofcommercial seed. Composed of 1,840 members(35% women) all CSP across the country arecoordinated by ANAPROFIKO, the national
association of commercial seed producers.

All commercial seed must be produced, processedand packaged in accordance with strict guidelines
set by the National Seed Council. These include
MAF Seed Department sampling the seed andlaboratory testing it for physical purity,
germination and moisture content before it canbe packaged, labelled and sold as commercial seed
under Fini ba Moris brand of quality-assurance.

>1,200 community seedproduction groups. These CSPG

In coordination with the NSC and MAF national
directorates, each of MAF’s 13 municipal offices
manages the seed production and distribution
activities that comprise its particular municipal
seed system (MSS) through its annual MSS work
plan & budget. Each MAF municipal office also
maintains a municipal seed database of all their
CSPG, CSP and MSS activities that are necessary
to achieve municipal seed balance and municipal
seed security -­their contribution to the overall
maintenance of the national seed system.

(about 3/suco) involve about 14,000 members(30% women). They produced about 200 Mt ofcommunity seed in the 2014-15 season.

Sweet potato and cassava

23 sweet potato cuttings
production centres. Run by local

farmer groups these have been established in allmunicipalities to enable farmers to locally-accessquality cuttings of improved varieties.

11 cassava cuttings production
centres of improved cassava varieties havebeen established in 8 municipalities.

9Crop identification and development
Research is the “engine room” of the National Seed System. Throughcontrolled on-station trials and multiple small on-farm trials the suitabilityof promising varieties is assessed under various climate, soils and farmers’
practice. Their acceptability as food is also tested by farming families before
being submitted to the National Seed Council’s Variety Approval, Release
and Registration Committee for official release.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
conducts extensive on-station and on-farmresearch to identify improved varieties of staple
crops that are:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

High yielding
Tolerant to disease and insects
Nutritious and tasty
Adapted to local soil and weather conditions
Adapted to traditional farming practices (ie.
low input farming)
Valued by consumers (i.e. can sell for a goodprice)
Suited to traditional gender roles
Storage considerations

1
Testing varieties on researchstations
The Ministry grows varieties sourced fromlocal farmers and international research centres
at six research stations across Timor-Leste. Ten to
20 varieties are grown at each station in replicated5 x 5m plots using traditional farming practices.
Research staff observe the crops during growth
and at harvest, and invite farmers to visit to also
observe and taste the top varieties.

Location

Municipality

BetanoManufahi

Darasula

BaucauLoes

Manatuto

Quintal Portugal
Urulefa

Liquica

Manatuto
Aileu

AinaroElevation
3m

10m
20m

400m
900m

1,200mBackground: Noi Mutin maize kernels (Photo: unknown)

How does it work?
Here’s the timeline forthe testing and releaseof Noi Mutin maize

10

Many varieties, few locations
Noi Mutin is a white maize variety from Central
Mindanao University in the southern Philippines.
In 2006 it was one of 17 maize varieties (3 local, 14
introduced) being grown and tested on four researchstations across Timor-Leste. In 2009, after three yearsof testing, Noi Mutin proved to be the best-performing
variety with its high yield. It was also preferred by
farmers for its taste and white colour. On-station
testing of Noi Mutin continued from 2009-2011 to
confirm its superiority.

Crop identification & development

Although released
varieties typically comefrom overseas, they aretested and grown in Timor
for at least five seasons
before being released

2

3

Testing varieties with farmers

Evaluating varieties for release

Varieties that perform well on-station over a few
years are then given to farmers to grow on 5 x
5m plots on their land. Research staff regularly
visit the farmers to establish the trial plots and toobserve the crop during growth and at harvest.
There are currently around 500 farmers acrossTimor-Leste growing 2-3 varieties on their farms
for research purposes.

Varieties that perform well on research centres,on farms and across various locations over five
years are considered for official release. They areassessed against a broad number of criteria, notonly for superior yield, agronomic adaptability
and taste but also for their social, environmentand gender impacts.

Few varieties, many locations

Official releaseAs with all cultures, taste preferences (sweetness,texture, dryness and flavour) play a critical rolein the successful uptake of new crop varieties.
Because of this, farming families (both men andwomen) participate in regular ‘taste test’ eventson research stations and in a percentage of the onfarm demonstration trials.

Noi Mutin was given to different farmers eachyear from 2009-2011 to grow on their own
fields alongside Sele maize and their own seed
for comparison.
2009: 100 farmers
2010: 188 farmers
2011: 102 farmers

Once deemed suitable the NSC’s Variety Approval,
Release and Registration Committee recommend
the variety to the MAF Minister for official release.

In 2012 Noi Mutin was officially released after
performing well in on-station tests for six years
and on almost 400 farms over three years.

11Source seed and quality control
Maize, rice, peanut, kidney bean and mung bean seedTo make the improved varieties accessible to farmers, large quantities ofquality seed must be produced for distribution and commercial sale.
This is achieved by multiplying a limited quantity of high-cost, genetically-pure seed across various
seed classes to produce large quantities of lower-cost, locally-produced commercial (and community)
seed. Robust quality assurance processes ensure genetic purity remains high at every stage and genetic
deterioration is low. The seed classes are as follows.

Not for public use

Seed class

BreederseedFoundationseed

For public use

Certifiedseed

Commercial
seed

Communityseed

12Quantity

PhysicalpurityPurposeMinistry of Agriculture andFisheries

99.9%

Seed
production

Ministry of Agriculture andFisheries / contract seed
grower

99.9%

Seed
production

Contract seed growers
(CSG)

98%

Seed
production

Registered commercial
seed producers (CSP)

95%

Seed for foodproduction

Community seedproduction groups (CSPG)

Not
guaranteed

Seed for foodproduction

Produced by

Source seed & quality control

All released varieties are
public domain and can beused by Timorese familyfamilies, forever. They will
never need to pay a royalty
or any other fee for using
these varieties.

Cost toproduceAmount produced
each year

Label
colourControlled by MAF
Grown on MAF research centres under highly controlled
conditions managed by the Breeder or Pure Seed
Officer.

High

LimitedYellow

Controlled by MAF
Production is highly controlled and supervised by a
MAF Seed Officer.

High

Small

White

Controlled by MAF
Seed is produced on contract seed growers’ fields underclose supervision of a Seed Officer. Seed is processed in
MAF seed warehouses and tested in seed laboratories
for moisture content, physical purity and germination
before being packaged by MAF and made available ascertified seedMediumhighMediumPurpleSupervised by MAF
MAF Seed Department supervise that CSP accord with
the Guidelines and sample and test seed for physicalpurity, germination & moisture content. The results arerecorded on pink label in each bag that also carry the
Fini ba Moris brand. Seed is also subject to spot checks
by MAF Seed Department

Medium

Large

Pink

Low

Large

Unlabelled

Quality control

Self regulated
CSPGs follow best-practice advice from MAF for
producing and storing good quality seed of moreproductive varieties.

13Commercial seed
Commercial seed producers(CSP) multiply certified seed to
produce commercial seed. All CSP
are registered and also issued
an annual permit to produce andsell seed in accordance with MAF
quality assurance guidelines.
Commercial seed must be packaged with a pink
‘truthful label’, each CSP’s unique brand name andthe NSS Fini ba Moris brand of quality. It can besold directly to other farmers, commercial seed
traders, NGOs, MAF or other Government agencies(or exported). Commercial seed is normally used
for food production and is subject to spot checks
by MAF Seed Department to ensure it meets set
quality standards for commercial seed.
Below: Commercial seed producers from Baucau, Lautem andViqueque receive their registration certificates at an event in
Bauacau in December 2013 (Photo: Jessy Betty)

CSP interested in growing & sellingcommercial seed must complete
three steps:

1
2
3

Apply and be registered with MAF
Seed Department as a commercial seedproducer (valid for 5 years) and then join
ANAPROFIKO.

Each year apply and obtain from MAF a
Commercial Seed Production Permit toproduce a specific variety and quantity ofcommercial seed.

Purchase sufficient certified seed from MAF
to plant the permitted area and produce,
process, test and package all seed according
to the CSP Guidelines.

MAF Suco Extension Officers (SEO), Municipal
Seed Coordinators (MSC) and Seed Officers (SO)provide each CSP with the supervision, advice andassistance required to complete these steps.

“I really like the system established by the ministry so we
can produce good seed for other farmers and help stop theseed imported from overseas”
Arthur Xavier, Tane Fini Commercial Seed Producer, Viqueque14

Commercial seedWho can become a commercial
seed producer (CSP)?
Farmers’ associations and individual farmers
experienced in seed production can becomecommercial seed producers if they meet thecriteria set out in the Ministry’s registration
guidelines.

Why is registration important?

Registration as a commercial seed producer isimportant for the following reasons:• to provide a legal basis for quality seedproduction• to assure existing and potential seed buyersthat the seed produced is quality seed
• to differentiate the registered producer fromthe many non-registered community seedproduction groups (CSPG) that produce
community seed. Community seed cannot besold as commercial seed because its quality
cannot be assured.

What if a producer breaches thecode of conduct?
A CSP registration certificate is normally valid
for 5 years. However, should a registered CSP
breach the code of conduct of commercial
seed production including any quality control
procedures set out in the guidelines, the MAF
Seed Department can at any time cancel theirregistration as a commercial seed producer.

If a CSP is registered, why do theyalso need a permit?
The annual permit allows a registered CSP to
produce a specific variety of seed in an agreed
location and area. This annual permit is necessary
to ensure:• sufficient certified seed is produced by MAF
to meet all CSP certified seed requirements• annual commercial seed production is able tomeet total commercial seed demand• the quality of commercial seed is maintained.

Above: Lino Rui de Andrade is chief of the commercial seedproducer group Buras Hamutuk that grows Sele maize in
Lospalos (Photo: Alexia Skok)

By CSP and local
commercial seed
traders selling seeds ofimproved varieties at
local markets, farming
families can accessa reliable supply of
quality seed of thevariety they want at thetime they need it.

15

Commercial seed

How is the quality of commercial
seed guaranteed?
There are a number of quality assurance steps acommercial seed producer (CSP) must follow aspart of MAF Guidelines under the National Seed
Policy (NSP).

Ensuring the qualityof commercial seedis key to maintaining
people’s trust in theseed system

Phase

Quality assurance

Beforeplanting

Each producer must have an annual production permit

Once registered as a CSP, the producer must apply for as annual CSP permit. The
MAF Seed Department reviews the application, conducts a field inspection and, if
approved, issues an annual permit along with an annual quality control form.

The CSP purchases high-quality certified seed

The commercial seed producer buys certified seed from MAF Seed Department inaccordance with the quantity authorised on the annual production permit.

Midseason

MAF seed officer inspects the producer’s crop

Postharvest

Seed is processed then sampled and tested by MAF Seed
Department

Sale ofseed

The CSP requests a field inspection from the MAF Seed Officer. If the producer fails
in a certain criteria but shows potential to solve the problem, the inspection form
will note the improvements necessary to pass future inspections.

The CSP processes (dries, grades and cleans) their commercial seed and request
MAF Seed Department to visit to sample and test that its commercial seed meets theminimum quality standards of physical purity, germination and moisture content.
Only then can the seed be packaged, truthfully labelled with the seed test results,
branded with the CSP’s own unique brand name (showing its location and contacts)
and with the Fini ba Moris brand of the National Seed System.

Fini ba Moris brand of quality assurance

To ensure farmers are receiving or buying only good quality seeds, each bag ofcommercial seed must not only be truthfully labelled with the pink label showing theresults of MAF seed test, but each bag of commercial seed offered for sale must also
carry the Fini ba Moris brand of quality assurance.

MAF spot-checks commercial seed

The actual quality of any commercial seed can also be spot-checked at any timeby MAF Seed Department. Municipal Seed Officers may take a seed sample fortesting at any MAF seed testing laboratory. Significant quality differences between
actual results and those on the pink label can result in the offending CSP suffering a
reduced authority to produce commercial seed next year, or even de-registration.

16

Commercial seed

Pink label seed is good quality seed
All commercial seed packets have a pink label, to show that it has
been produced by a CSP and the seed quality has been checkedby the MAF Seed Department. They also all carry the NSS Fini ba
Moris brand of quality assurance.

Packed with airtightplastic to prevent access byweevils
Producer’s nameMember of ANAPROFIKO(National Association ofCommercial Seed Producers)
Type of crop

Name of variety

Information on seedlaboratory test result andthe test dateFini ba Moris brand, thebrand of the National Seed
System established by MAF
Seed expiry date
Seed weight

Information on the
producer’s registration
number, chief of group,
address and phone number“Sele is good. The cobs and seeds are big
and the results are impressive. We willcontinue to plant it.”Urbano do Carmo dos Reis, Chief of a CSPG in Natarbora

17Community seed
Community seed production groups(CSPG) locally produce un-labelled,
low-cost community seed fromcertified, commercial or community
seed. This seed is dried, cleaned andproperly stored in airtight containers
and made available for farming families
to use the following season for theirfood production.

About 70% of the seedfarmers sow comesfrom traditional sources,
including from farmers’
own stocks, the local
market or through social
networks of neighbours,
friends and relatives

What is a community seedproduction group (CSPG)?
A CSPG is formed by farmers to produce seed forgroup members and their local community. Theirobjective is to ensure farmers have sufficient goodquality seed to plant next season so they do nothave to rely on seed from MAF or NGOs. CSPGs
are formed at the aldeia or suco level and usuallycomprise around 10-15 members, with eachmember representing a household.

How does a community seedproduction group maintain thequality of their seed?

Maize CSPG should replace their planting seedwith new certified or commercial seeds every
3 years. Rice and peanut CSPG should obtain
new planting seed from MAF or CSP every 5
years. New seeds should be sourced from theSuco Extension Officer (SEO) or Municipal Seed
Coordinator (MSC) in each MAF Municipal Officeor purchased from any registered CSP.

18

Below: Francisco Jose Martinez tends to the corncrop planted by his 10-member CSPG outside
Maubisse, Ainaro district (Photo: Conor Ashleigh)Community seed

How does a community seedproduction group work?

Time
Planting

Activity

The group:

•
•
•
•
•

Harvest•Postharvest

•
•
•
•
•

Ongoing••

The CSPG receives seeds on credit from Suco Extension Officer (SEO).
Receives orientation, training and mentoring support on community seedproduction from SEO.
Grows seeds in one good seed plot as a collective group activity.
Follows SEO’s technical advice for seed production, e.g. isolation, rogueing, seed
selection.

CSPG harvests the seed plot at the right stage and separates seed from food grain.

Stores the clean, well-dried seeds in appropriate airtight containers.
Shares the agreed quantity of seeds with all members for food production on theirprivate land.
Shares, barters or sells surplus seeds to neighbours in their suco community.
Returns the same quantity of seeds to the SEO at planting time to support othergroups in the same suco to improve their food production.
Maintains a ‘group book’, with support from the SEO for recording its members,group decisions, activities, agri-tools, results and visitors’ list and comments.
Continues the seed production as a collective activity every year.

Above: Women members of a peanut CSPG in Natabora (Photo: Jessy Betty)

19

National Seed System management
Early in 2012 MAF-SoL studies found it cost $3.50/kg for MAF Seed Department to produce certified seed of
improved varieties and the cost of imported seed was about $7.00/kg. Therefore being dependent on certified
seed and imported seed was not meeting either:• timely access of farming families to quality seed of improved varieties at a reasonable price, or• the Government’s objectives of national seed security and national seed sovereignty.

A study visit to investigate Nepal’s experience in developing its national seed system lead to the establishmentof Timor-Leste’s National Seed Policy (NSP), National Seed Council (NSC) and development of local commercial
seed production. These enabled registered farmer groups (CSP) in each municipality to produce large quantitiesof quality-assured commercial seed of improved varieties for use by farming families across the country. It alsoenabled money previously spent on costly seed imports to be redirected to buying locally produced good qualitycommercial seed of improved varieties from local CSP, the promotion of commercial agriculture and attainmentof national seed security and national seed sovereignty.

1
2
3

4

5
20

MAF National Directorate for Research, Statistics & Geographic Information (NDRSGI), particularly its
Research Department, manages Crop Identification & Development component of NSS. For further
explanation see pages 8, 10 & 11.

MAF National Directorate for Agriculture, Horticulture & Extension (DNAHE), particularly its Seed
Department, manages the Source Seed & Quality Control component of the NSS. It uses foundation
seed of released varieties from research to supervise specialised contract seed growers (CSG) to produce
certified seed which MAF provides to registered commercial seed producers (CSP). CSP produce large
quantities of commercial seed in accordance with MAF Guidelines and quality controls (permits,
inspections and seed testing) for distribution to farmers. For further explanation see pages 12 & 13.

MAF Regional and Municipal Directors their staff and NDAHE Seed Department manage the Commercial
and Community Seed component of the NSS. Each MAF municipal seed team works with its CSP and
CSPG to plan and implement commercial and community seed production and to distribute commercial
seed to meet the seed requirements of the municipality’s farming families. Some commercial seed ispurchased from CSP by MAF Seed Department for distribution by each MAF municipal office according
to its municipal seed distribution plan. Others are purchased by agricultural input suppliers (lojaagricultura) for sale to farmers or by MAF development partners and NGOs for distribution to farmers.
An ongoing project is progressively establishing community seed banking (+ CSB) in each municipality
wherein a selected CSPG and their suco community identify, describe, multiply and save local food cropvarieties to be registered by MAF municipal office for possible inclusion in variety research and in themunicipal and/or national seed system. For further explanation see pages 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19.

The National Seed System integrates the formal seed system and the informal or traditional seed system(also known as the community seed system). Farming families will continue to rely on local varieties
to supply at least two-thirds (66%) of their annual seed requirement, including local varieties in theircommunity seed bank. The commercial and community seed of improved varieties produced by CSP and
CSPG will provide the other 33%, thereby enabling one third of all farmers to access them each year.
In each cropping season CSP and CSPG across the country can produce approx. 300 metric tons (Mt)of quality commercial seed and 200 Mt of community seed of improved varieties: a total 500 Mt of good
seeds sufficient to supply about one-third of the country’s annual total seed requirement. This seed
replacement rate (SRR) of 33% is about optimal for Timor-Leste’s approx. 130,000 farming families.

Overseeing the implementation of the NSS is the National Seed Council (NSC). Chaired by the MAF
Minister, the NSC is composed of all MAF directorates involved in crop research, seed production, quality
control and seed distribution and representatives of all sectors and interest groups with a stake inensuring the NSS continues to function and achieve its objective.

MAF DPs/NGOs

NDRSGI
Gene banks
breeder seed

MAF-SoL
Researchfoundation seed

Farmers’seedcommunityseed

Traditional
or informal
seed system

Seedexchange

MarketConsumption

Planting,
cultivation,
harvestMAF contract
growersof certified seed

Municipal
lojas

certified seed

Guidelines &quality control

MAF Seed Dept, NDAHE

CSPs
producecommercial
seed

MAF Municipal
Seed System

CSPGs

+ CSB

commercial
seed

MAF Regional &Municipal Directors,
Seed & Extension Depts
of NDAHE

NSP + Guidelines managed by MAF with NSC & its 3 committees

Left: Members of a peanut CSP prepare certified utamua seed for planting (Photo: Buddhi Kunwar). Right: Seed warehouses, known as uma rai fini, are a key
part of commercial seed production (Photo: Buddhi Kunwar).

Above: Labourers pick young rice seedlings on Jose Dos Santos’s farm outside
Maliana, Bobonaro district (Photo: Conor Ashleigh)Produced by Seeds of Life, June 2016