Luanda — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Minader) has been implementing, in the past three years, several programmes throughout the country, to reduce the deficit in cereals, which is estimated at 40 per cent.

Speaking to ANGOP Friday in Luanda, the general director of the Agrarian Development Institute (IDA), Marcos Nhunga, said that the programme also aims at reducing the concentration of products in the field, through the flow of most part of the production, apart from distributing work tools.

He also informed that IDA is implementing the programme of maize seeds production in the southern region of the country, to change the current situation of shortage and cereals importation.

According to him, in the ambit of the implementation of this programme, the Agriculture Ministry is working with private partners for the success of the project.

As an example, said Marcos Nhunga, through the partnership among the Agriculture Ministry and private enterprises, in 2007 Angola produced more than 800 tons of maize.

"If the Ministry of Agriculture and private enterprises of agriculture production keep on in this path, Angola will change, in medium term, the problem of importing seeds and become self-sufficient in producing seeds in the coming years", he said.

The agronomist said that IDA is also carrying out programmes of providing equipment and work instruments. Regarding this, he emphasised that IDA also has a programme of upgrading the staffs, so that the Ministry of Agriculture may have enough human resources to achieve its objectives.