First Export of Candlenut Oil from East Timor to the U.S.

April 19, 2006/Dili, East Timor. The first shipment of candlenut oil is enroute to Honolulu, Hawaii from Baucau, East Timor via the ports of Dili. Fifty barrels of oil from Acelda were loaded onto to three trucks for the 3-hour journey from Baucau to Dili. The loading of the barrels into shipping containers was a historic event. Minister Estanislau da Silva of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries operated the forklift to load the very first barrel. Several other officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and from the Ministry of Development participated as well as representatives from GTZ, World Bank and USAID/DAI. Both Sr. Higino de Costa Freitas, owner of Acelda in Baucau and Mr. Matthew Papania, president of Oils of Aloha in Waialua, Hawaii were present to observe the sealing of the container for shipping. The first container of East Timor candlenut oil is expected to arrive in Honolulu near the end of May.