Viana — At least 23 tonnes of food products were exported Thursday for the first time from Angola to the United States of America by the Angolan food processing company Food Care, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The products include 23-kilogram bags of cassava flours, cornflower, catatos, cooked cassava leaves, mushrooms and peanut butter.

Speaking to the press, The United States Deputy Chief of Mission in Angola, Mary Emma Arnold, said the initiative represents the advantages of the AGOA and the result of a partnership between the company Food Care and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

AGOA gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the US market for more than 1,800 agricultural products.

According to Mary Arnold, the US government through USAID is helping countries in the southern African region to take advantage of the AGOA under a regional programme worth 31 million US dollars for African companies, such as Food Care, in terms of financial and technical assistance and business support to access the US market.

The US diplomat added that trade between Angola and the United States is historic and significant, with exports from one country to another based on crude oil, diamonds and gas, as opposed to agricultural production, which is why promoting the diversification of the economy through trade is promising.

The head of production at Angolan company Food Care, Eunice Pedro, stressed that all agricultural products comply with basic hygienic conditions in accordance with food safety procedures.

The founder of the Angolan Food Care company, Marlene José, whose firm started operating in 2019 domestically, said the company's staff has been receiving various training on the products exportation to other markets, gaining knowledge of the practices, recommendations and rigor of how to process food for other international markets, especially the US. AA/PA/AMP