Cazengo: The farmers in the municipality of Cazengo, province of Cuanza-Norte, need increased funding for the agricultural sector to boost production and transition to mechanized, market-oriented agriculture.
According to Angola Press News Agency, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the city of Ndalando (Cazengo), the acting municipal head of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Manuel Caiela, stated that the highest priority for the sector is access to financing, so that the municipality can move from subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture with higher income. He said that if there is increased funding for farmers, the municipality will no longer have issues accessing food.
At this time, he added, producers need resources for land preparation because it is quite difficult and complicated for a producer to prepare two to three hectares manually. He mentioned that at the level of the Agricultural Development Support Fund (FADA), only three farmers in the municipality have benefited from financing for tractors and their components.
According to the official, the institution is also advocating with FADA so that local farmers can benefit from the "Transforma Aqui" financing line, to promote agro-industry. Agriculture, he stressed, requires investment to transform products such as lemons, papayas, mangoes, and oranges.
Regarding field irrigation, he said that the administration has distributed some resources, but farmers are also struggling with a lack of fuel due to the price. The city of Ndalatando will celebrate its 70th anniversary on March 28th, since it was elevated to this status.
