On Saturday, 10 January 2026, the Government officially launched the Galata Irrigation Scheme, aimed at supplying water to agricultural fields in the Venilale area. The ceremony was led by His Excellency Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by Her Excellency the President of the Baucau Municipal Authority, Dr. Veneranda E. M. Lemos Martins, along with members of the Government.
The Galata Irrigation Scheme is located in Uatu-Haco Village, Venilale Administrative Post, Baucau Municipality, and represents a significant contribution to the development of the agricultural sector in the region.
Under the policies of the IX Constitutional Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MAPPF), the Government continues to promote agricultural modernization through the implementation of irrigation schemes to supply water to farmlands and support farmers in increasing agricultural production, particularly in Venilale Administrative Post, Baucau Municipality.
The Galata Irrigation Scheme will cover a total agricultural area of 720 hectares, including the Waibobo area in the Ossú Administrative Post, Viqueque Municipality.
In her remarks, Her Excellency the President of the Baucau Municipal Authority, Dr. Veneranda E. M. Lemos Martins, expressed her appreciation to the IX Constitutional Government, through MAPPF, for providing water to agricultural fields, thereby supporting farmers and enhancing food production in Baucau Municipality.
“How can we talk about reducing rice imports if we do not have sufficient water and good road infrastructure?” she stated.
She further urged the Central Government to pay greater attention to basic infrastructure, particularly roads, to enable local communities to transport their agricultural products to markets more easily.
“We need to rethink the perception that Baucau is merely a remote municipality. We continue to represent the Central Government by delivering public services to municipalities, administrative posts, villages, and hamlets. However, one of the main challenges that remains is road infrastructure,” she concluded.