Luanda – The lack of scientific and technical knowledge by the national farmers, with highlight to family agriculture, constitutes one of the main factors that hinder the progress of agricultural activity in the country.
This statement comes from the minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, António Franciasco de Assis, while talking this Friday in Luand, during the second edition of the CaféCIPRA space.
“Despite the lack of instruments and agricultural inputs, we have an accentuated deficit related to technical knowledge, mainly within the operators that engage in family agriculture (…), explained the official.
The minister stresses that the absence of industrial units for the manufacture of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural equipment – such as hoes, machetes, axes and watering cans – are other factors that hamstring the practice of agriculture by families in Angola.
Facing this scenario, António Francisco de Assis points the need to reinforce the bet in economic diplomacy aiming to attract new investment for the sector of industry.
In this regard, the minister recalled that Angola already has two projects of private initiative for the assembling of fertilizers factory in the provinces of Zaire and Cabinda respectively, actions that should be replicated in other regions of the country.
According to the minister the country also needs to improve the distribution chain and the flow of agricultural products to encourage farmers.
The official admitted, however, that there is still a big deficit in the supply of agricultural foodstuffs to the national market, taking into account the crescent seeking of essential products in the country.
On the occasion the agricultural and industrial operators advocated the need to have more inclusion and concert among the government and the producers to boost the productive activity in the country.
On his turn, the Trade Chamber and Industry of Angola (CCIA) chairman, Vicente Vaz, states that it is necessary to improve the dialogue and concert among the government and the operators aiming for the realization of national production increase.
The manager of the Pérola do Kikuxi farm, Elizabeth dos Santos, defends the implementation of policies that allow to effectively fight unfair competition as well as to protect the national producer in the country, fundamentally in the production of eggs.
On the other hand, the owner of the company Nova Agrolíder, Laurinda Macedo, advocates the creation of an Exporter Bureau to reduce excess bureaucracy that is still recorded in the process of national products exportation.
Promoted by the Press Centre of the Presidency of the Republic of Angola (CIPRA), the participants in the second edition of the CaféCIPRA Space, which is a dialogue without mediation, have assessed the Promotion of national production and sustainability of the Strategic Food Reserve (REA).
The respective assessment, which was attended by businesspersons, journalists, among other guests, was co-chaired by the ministers of Industry and Trade, Victor Fernandes, Agriculture and Fisheries, António Francisco Assis, as well as the coordinator of REA, Eduardo Machado.
The first edition of the dialogue without mediation called CaféCIPRA took place last February, with the theme “Economic Diplomacy: balance and perspectives”.
Source: Angola Press News Agency