Gaberone — Angolan minister of Agriculture, Afonso Pedro Canga, said in Gaberone, Botswana, that Angola hás been giving its greatest contribution to guarantee food security in the southern region of the continent, in the framework of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Speaking last Friday at the end of the regional meeting of ministers of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Afonso Canga referred that his government gives capital important to the food security issue since it is very essential for the region's economic development.

"We consider as very important the objective of policies outlined and which are being implemented to assure food security in the region and in the whole continent", stressed the Angolan official.

Concerning the meeting he attended in representation of the country, minister Canga said it was positive and that his delegation was pleased with the achievement of the planned goals, namely defining of policies of food reserves, seeds and research.

SADC ministers of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources met in Gaberone to analyse to state of food security and discuss the means for the region to guarantee farming production, so as to solve the global food crisis.

In this meeting, the ministers concluded that regional food state is satisfactory in terms of cereals whilst at the same time witnessed with concern the current increase of food prices, which endanger food security.

Afonso Canga led a delegation comprising national directors of his Ministry and which also included the minister counsellor of the Angolan Embassy in Botswana, Evaristo Dias da Silva.

Delegations of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia also attended the meeting. DR Congo was absent.