The Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, challenged, yesterday, during the first edition of Café CIPRA of the year, large companies in the country to invest in agriculture, having pointed out Unitel’s investment in the agricultural sector, as a good example.
José de Lima Massano said that Unitel is today one of the largest, if not the largest corn producer in the country, stating that it is proof that if companies invest in this they can have good results. I support the idea that there are some good examples, José de Lima Massano also spoke regarding the military, who here and there are making their contribution to further progress in this agricultural issue. “We visited the Army farm and liked what we saw,” he said.
Angola only produces 40 thousand tons of rice
The data was also presented by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, who explained that for now the internal consumption needs for rice are 600 thousand tons, which means that the country ends up being very exposed to external factors, as that we only produce 40 thousand tons of the product. When speaking on the subject, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui Minguêns added that dependence on external factors is not bad at all, as it leads to a situation in which we are unable to control movements.
The head of the commerce department added that in these cases, it is not always just money, in fact, he said, there are several situations in which the country had money but was unable to buy it. “A situation similar to that of wheat, which because we produce little, we end up having to import and, therefore, we are exposed to factors that we do not control, ending up in situations like the one we are currently experiencing”, he said.
Asked regarding the rise in the price of bread due to the lack of wheat, the Minister of Commerce said that the supposed scarcity of a product cannot serve as an argument for speculation, therefore, the sector he heads has been preparing ways to combat and stop these situations. It is important to note that in addition to the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Rui Minguêns, the Minister of Agriculture and the PCA of AIPEX, Lello Francisco, participated in the panel.
