Luanda — The Strategic Food Reserve (REA) will begin to buy, in the coming days, more than 60,000 tonnes of corn from national producers, with an estimated price of around 220,000 kwanzas per ton.

If the quantity of maize is purchased at the mentioned price, the REA will have to disburse more than 13.2 million kwanzas to national producers.

The 6th Ordinary Session of the Cabinet Council, chaired by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, approved Thursday the Memorandum on Support Measures for the Production and Disposal of Grains and Fertilizers to encourage increased productivity.

In a press conference, on the sidelines of the aforementioned meeting, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano, said that the management of prices is the responsibility of the REA, which may increase or decrease.

Mário Caetano said that one of the reasons for the purchase of the grains owed to national producers' reduced storage capacity in the harvest this period.

He added that, in addition to this purchase, REA will consolidate its operations, either through imports or through the purchase of national production.

The meeting also approved the purchase of fertilizers, in a total of 120,000 tons, an action that will have a public-private nature.

Part of the amount to be invested will be made available by the Development Bank of Angola (BDA).

The fertilizers will be purchased in Morocco and Russia, he said, adding that no country can be sanctioned for the fact that it is buying goods to satisfy its needs from the aforementioned country in conflict.