Luanda – The Secretary of State for Higher Education, Eugénio da Silva, today in Luanda defended the need for higher education institutions (HEIs) to be present in the agricultural activity, with a view to innovation and increase production, allowing for the transfer of knowledge and technologies.
Speaking at the opening of a workshop on the “Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Development of Agri-business,” he noted that teachers and researchers were important agents, and should train farmers and managers to improve processes and techniques, with a direct impact on the increase of production, organisation and management of agricultural activities.
Eugénio da Silva said that projects were being developed by the HEIs, as part of the “Plan for Integration of Universities in the Development of Agribusiness and Value Chains,” in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
FAO, he pointed out, helped train 1,068 key actors from the public and private sector, in techniques of agribusiness development and technological innovation of value chains.
According to the same, as a result of the action plan with FAO, 22 projects of training, scientific research and technological innovation in agriculture and fisheries value chains, sustainable management of natural resources and climate change are being developed in 14 Higher Education Institutions.
The Secretary of State for Higher Education noted that one of the priorities of the National Development Plan (PDN 2018-2022) is the qualification of human capital (through higher education), development of agriculture and industrial infrastructures, with a focus on decentralised development of the productive potential of the economy.
In this sense, he continued, the actions are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and the African Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (Agenda 2063).
For this, he added, the Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development (FUNDECIT) was created, under the public policy of Science, Technology and Innovation, whose main objective is the mobilization/attracting and management of financial resources for scientific research and development.
Source: Angola Press News Agency