Lubango: Locally produced fruits have gained prominence in the commercial areas of Lubango, Huíla province, surpassing those imported from Namibia, which dominated the market for many years. Until 2017, fruits imported from Namibia played a leading role in the Huíla market, with numerous trucks supplying both informal and formal markets. According to Angola Press News Agency, this trend has shifted significantly, and the presence of Namibian fruits is now residual in fruit shops and supermarkets, still limited to apples, grapes, peaches, and pears, and no longer present in the informal market. Huíla province is a prominent agricultural hub in Angola, especially for tropical fruits, with municipalities such as Humpata, Quilengues, Chibia, and Matala producing over six thousand tons annually. Humpata leads the market with over 350 tons of fruit production, including apples, pears, passion fruit, citrus fruits, quince, and red berries, thanks to its high-altitude climate of over two thousand meters. From Decem ber to April, the prices of these fruits range from 10 to 20 kwanzas per kg at the source and can reach 290 to 400 kwanzas in fruit shops, while imported fruits range from 1,300 to 3,100 kwanzas. Among the locally sold fruits from other areas of the country, pineapple and dragon fruit are notable. Mariana Celestino, the manager of a fruit shop in the Tchioco neighborhood, noted that national fruits now surpass imported ones in quality and price, with 90% of her monthly acquisitions supplied by local producers under contract. Maurício Sales, a supermarket manager in Senhora do Monte, Lubango, mentioned signing contracts with fruit producers from Humpata, Matala, and Caconda, supplying apples, strawberries, citrus fruits, mangoes, bananas, papayas, and avocados. Currently, only small quantities of peaches, apples, and kiwis are imported from Namibia. Helena José, head of the agriculture section in Humpata, announced the harvest of 350 tons of apples last January, being sold locally and in other parts of Huíl a, Namibe, Benguela, Cunene, and Luanda. The harvest, influenced by administrative changes, ends in May. The Provincial Office of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries reported a production increase from 3,903 tons in the 2022/2023 campaign to 6,943 tons in 2023/2024.
