23 April 2008
Luanda — Cape Verde's Agriculture and Environment minister, Maria Madalena das Neves, who is in the country since last Sunday, is to visit Pungo Andongo Farm this Wednesday, located in Cacuso District, Malange Province, to learn of the functioning of the undertaking.
According to a source of the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the travel of the Cape Verdean official to Malange Province happens as part of her work visit to Angola, which is also in the ambit of the implementation of the Basic Agreement of economic, technical, scientific, social and cultural co-operation, signed in 1978 between the governments of the two states.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Maria Madalena das Neves said that Cape Verde can transmit to Angola, among others, experience in the sectors of draughts resistance, combat against desertification, agriculture modernisation and also intends to profit from all the conditions of production in Angola (plot, climate, and water).
The official returns to Luanda this Wednesday, accompanied by the Angolan Agriculture and Rural Development minister, Afonso Pedro Canga, and national and provincial officials of the agriculture sector.
Speaking to ANGOP, the manager of Pungo Andongo Farm, Evandro Fortes, said that the undertaking is going to increase this year the maize production from the current 40 tons to 180.
For this year, the administration of the farm also plans to produce soya in a rotational way, a very important technique to keep the sun quality, as well as the crop of the first 100 hectares of beans.
The managers are studying the possibility of incorporating new cultures like rice, peanuts, sunflower and other cultures.
The farm began its activity in June 2006, revolutionising cereals production in Pungo Andongo. The greater difficulties faced while implementing the farming project were the inexistence of infrastructures, such as ways of access, electricity, water, and manpower.
Currently the farm employs 16 Brazilian citizens, agronomists, and agricultural technicians, also eight Angolans with the same qualifications.
Pungo Andongo farm, a public/private partnership, is managed by the public company Gesterra and is located in the agro-industrial estate Capanda, covering Cacuso, Malanje and Cangandala districts, in an extension of 184,000 hectares.
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