Luanda: Angolan Minister of Agriculture and Forests Isaac dos Anjos on Monday encouraged the creation of large-scale industrial parks and the standardization of glass packaging for agri-food products. The measure aims to boost local processing, add value to national production, and create new income opportunities for families, he stated.
According to Angola Press News Agency, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the inauguration of a glass container production facility at Barra do Dande in the northern province of Bengo, Isaac dos Anjos expressed satisfaction with the growth of the Sino Ord Industrial Park, which currently has about 17 operational factories. He stated that experience shows it is possible to develop modern industrial parks in Angola, provided that areas meeting industrial requirements are made available.
"Modern industries are not suited to small sites. It is necessary to make areas of 200, 300, or even 400 hectares available for the establishment of new industrial parks," he emphasized. The minister highlighted that the factory's opening will pave the way for standardizing packaging for jams, honey, fruit pastes, pickles, and other processed products, thereby facilitating mass production and marketing.
The initiative, he continued, could benefit thousands of small producers and families by providing them with standardized containers to package products prepared under hygienic conditions, making them suitable for distribution chains and supermarkets. The minister also highlighted the sanitary advantages of glass packaging, noting that it can be sterilized at temperatures above 90 degrees, contributing to better food preservation and a reduction in plastic use.
Regarding the environment, he advocated for adopting the "3Rs" principles-reduce, reuse, and recycle-and aligning the measure with the national strategy to promote the blue economy and sustainability. The Cristal Azul project represents a total investment of approximately 45 million US dollars and will be implemented in two phases. Once the first phase becomes operational, the facility will have a daily production capacity of around 800,000 glass bottles.
