Saurimo – At least 60,000 hectares of land have been identified, in the eastern Lunda Sul Province, for the start of the National Plan for Promotion of Grain Production (PLANAGRÃO), in 2024.
These are the municipalities of Saurimo and Muconda, in the province of Lunda Sul, in the eastern part of the country.
PLANAGRÃO, an initiative of the Angolan government, will be developed in the provinces of Moxico, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, and Cuando Cubango.
Each province will benefit from 500,000 hectares, with financing from the Development Bank of Angola (BDA) estimated at 1.6 billion kwanzas.
The secretary of State for Economy, Ivan dos Santos, who concluded a two-day visit to Lunda Sul on Saturday, verified the conditions of the areas chosen for the implementation of PLANAGRÃO, and specified that of the identified areas 35,000 hectares belong to the commune of Muriege where the four cereals will be cultivated.
Another 25,000 hectares are located in Peso-Velho, commune of Mona Quimbundo, exclusively for rice production, given the history of the locality in the cultivation of this cereal.
According to the State secretary, the identified areas offer favourable conditions for the cultivation of rice, corn, soybean and beans, with a considerable water potential which will serve for the Planagrão start-up, offering job opportunities to the youth, especially to the newly graduated.
He also said that Planagrão has two components, being the first related to infrastructures (roads, energy and water) and the other connected to the financing of the private sector that will be operated by the Development Bank of Angola (BDA).
Ivan dos Santos said that the private sector in this Plan will be in charge of bringing the equipment to materialize this great project.
He recommended the municipal administrations to encourage young people to participate in this project, in order to boost the cultivation of these cereals in the country, thus promoting economic development.
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)