Decades ago, the belt of Suai to Viqueque, used to have the most fertile soils in the country. The facts mentioned above, are effects of a complexity of activities, not only farming and agriculture related practices. However, a sustainable agriculture greatly demands a sustainable land and water resources management, which in our case, were not appropriately managed during the past decades. This paper aims to present a descriptive and analytical study on a sustainable agriculture development of East Timor in general. In this context, and based on my personal academic background, I would like to specifically discuss the importance of agricultural mechanization.
Agricultural mechanization is somehow identical to agricultural modernization.
Despite of the debatable substance reflected by this statement, it is a common desire among all East Timorese, that our agriculture needs to be restructured based on our ecological and technological values. A better agriculture management should replace the traditional and subsistent farming systems. Having said that, I would like to invite and welcome views and insights from other agriculturists, concerned and committed with the agriculture development of East Timor, especially in the perspectives of the coming century. Agriculture Development East Timor climatic conditions are characterized by long period of high temperature combined with the occurrence of more or less pronounced wet season. Agriculture studies done by researchers and farming practices in the African, Asian and Australian tropics relevant to the agroclimate of East Timor will be discussed.