Five hundred thousand hectares of land are available, in the province of Lunda Sul, for the implementation of the National Development Plan for Grain Production (PLANAGRÃO).
The information was provided yesterday, Monday, in Saurimo, by the director of the Provincial Office of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Nelson Senguetali, highlighting that the province has identified and allocated the areas where PLANAGRÃO will be implemented in the 10 communes of Lunda Sul .
He reiterated that, in each of the 10 communes, 50 thousand hectares will be made available, with Saurimo being the pilot area, where 35 thousand hectares of land are allocated. According to the official, the chosen areas offer favorable conditions for the cultivation of rice, corn, soybeans and beans with considerable water potential, which will be used to start the project.
He made it known that, at this moment, studies to verify the water potential, collection of soil samples and surveys of communities and traditional authorities have been completed, with the aim of knowing the history of the areas where PLANAGRÃO is implemented.
Nelson Senguetali said that the office has been initiating contacts with the company that won the competition, to establish the project in the municipality of Saurimo, in order to have a plausible speed.
Scheduled in 2022, the Program has financing from the Development Bank of Angola (BDA), of more than 2 billion kwanzas and aims to double grain production by 2027, in order to guarantee food self-sufficiency in the country.
The idea is to produce, by this period, 6 million tons of cereals per year, compared to the current around 3.14 million tons of grains.
The project also involves the profitability of soils, an increase in agricultural entrepreneurs, employment and the promotion of the value chain, in order to guarantee a fixed income for producers, in addition to reducing dependence on imports and ensuring self-sufficiency and food security.
