Lunda-Norte: The Capenda-Camulemba Agricultural Development Station in Lunda-Norte is set to commence operations in June, equipped with cutting-edge technology for farmer training and a soil analysis laboratory, ANGOP reported on Monday.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the station, which has been inactive since its inauguration in 2013 due to a shortage of technicians, will soon overcome this hurdle. Catembo Camunda, the director of the Institute for Agrarian Development (IDA) in Lunda-Norte, stated that a partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) is currently training 100 agricultural technicians. From this pool, four technicians will be selected to manage the operations of the station starting in June.
The initiative is part of a project titled 'Value Chain', designed to enhance agricultural production through soil analysis and correction. The station's regional focus is expected to boost local production, ensure product preservation, and establish a commercial network for producers to generate income.
The facility boasts a 30-hectare experimental agricultural area for hands-on training, residences for technicians, conference rooms, offices, a library, and a cold storage unit for preserving agricultural products, particularly vegetables. The laboratory's operations will facilitate the study and analysis of soil, helping to identify the most suitable crops for sustainable agriculture, ultimately benefiting producers.
This agricultural season, 318,691 hectares of land have been earmarked, with a projected production of 2.5 million tonnes of various products. This endeavor involves the participation of 211,134 peasant families.
