Luanda — The continuous increase in agricultural production has boosted agriculture to be one of the fastest growing activities in the Angolan productive sector, with a contribution of 6.6% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 2022/2023 period.
By Quinito Bumba, ANGOP journalist
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MINAGRIF) indicate that this growth, for example, is higher than the oil sector, which still remains the main 'engine' of the Angolan economy.
As an example, in the 2022/2023 agricultural season, there was a total production of 26 million 457 thousand and 227 tons of various products, with emphasis on the five main sectors, namely roots and tubers, fruits, cereals, vegetables, as well as legumes and oilseeds.
Based on the report of the previous harvest of MINAGRIF, to which ANGOP had access, this harvest represented an overall increase of 36.8% (1,669,158 tonnes), compared to the 2021/2022 season, whose total production was 24 million 788 thousand and 69 tonnes.
Among the main products cultivated in the period under review, the chain of roots and tubers stands out, which led the top 5, with a total production of 13 million 743 thousand and 973 tons (6.3%), of which 11 million 240 thousand and 420 of cassava, one million 997 thousand and 930 tons of sweet potatoes and 505 thousand and 622 of reindeer potatoes.
Subsequently, the fruit sector recorded the production of six million 487 thousand and 767 tonnes (6.7%), of which 4 million 893 thousand and 686 of bananas, 759 thousand and 158 of pineapples, 488 thousand and 133 of citrus fruits, 288 thousand and 558 of mangoes and 58 thousand and 231 of avocados.
Another highlight in the list of five sectors was the cultivation of cereals, whose production amounted to three million 357 thousand and 136 tons (5.3%), of which three million 214 thousand and 698 of corn, 45 thousand and 174 of massango, 36 thousand and 513 massambala, 36 thousand of rice and 20 thousand and 921 of wheat.
The horticultural sector recorded a production of two million 203 thousand and 362 tons (11.5%), of which 765 thousand 787 of tomatoes, 575 thousand 550 of onions, 284 thousand 733 of cabbage, 159 thousand 173 of carrots, 13 thousand 467 of garlic and 404 thousand 653 of other vegetables.
Finally, the legume and oilseed sector reached the figure of 664,989 (7%), of which 386,865 were beans, 233,483 were peanuts and 44,640 were soybeans.
It should be noted that the products of these five rows were harvested in an area of five million 409 thousand and 867 hectares, in a universe of six million 41 thousand and 25 hectares of the sown area, with the EAF (the Family Farm) being responsible for the cultivation of 91.3% of this space.
In an average of 2.17 hectares per family, 66% of the total sown area was done manually, 28% by animal traction and 6% by mechanization.
Out of a total of more than 35 million hectares of arable land available for agricultural activity in Angola, only 17% of this area has been worked.
The largest share of the total production of these sectors, which represented a production growth of more than 6.6%, fell to EAF, with 82.2%, while the Corporate Agricultural Exploitation (EAE) contributed with 17.8%.
In numerical terms, the 2022/2023 harvest had the engagement of 8,959 associations and 2,823 cooperatives, as well as six thousand Field Schools (ECA), which developed agricultural activity, in several provinces of the country, such as Huambo, Cuanza Sul, Bié, Benguela, Huíla, Uíge, Malanje, Moxico, Lunda Sul, Bengo and Cabinda.
Coffee and sugarcane production
Along with the increase in production in the five main sectors, the cultivation of the 'red berry' also rose to 13,831 tons of coffee fruit and 6,224 tons of commercial coffee, in the 2022/2023 season, against 11 thousand 561 and 5 thousand 206 tons, respectively, in the 2021/2022 season.
In this chapter, sugarcane production amounted to one million 296 thousand tons, which represented an increase of 12.7% over the previous period.
Livestock farming
Under the sub-programme to promote the production of broiler and laying hens, the Ministerial Department of Agriculture and Forestry distributed a total of one million 407 thousand 912 chicks to 56 thousand 318 families, of which 75% were women who also benefited from 85 training actions.
In the pig segment, the distribution of 816 pigs to 195 families in the provinces of Benguela, Lunda Norte, Huíla, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Cuando Cubango, Moxico, Luanda and Bié stood out.
To ensure the health of the animals, the vaccination of one million 473 thousand 261 head of cattle was recorded, in addition to the immunization of 302 thousand 984 pets.
As for national meat, 342 thousand tons were produced in 2023, representing an increase of 6.9% compared to 2022, while egg production stood at two million 762 thousand units (2.5%).
Also, in the period under review, the production of 6.3 million liters of milk (0.5%) was recorded.
Logging
In the forestry segment, the highlight was the exploitation of 124.7 thousand cubic meters of roundwood, an increase of 23.5% compared to 2022.
In the same period, there was also the production of 81.1 thousand cubic meters of sawn wood (48.1%).
In 2023, 88.8 thousand cubic meters of sawn wood were exported, which represented a decrease of 1.5% compared to the same year last year.
The production of 107 tons of honey was also highlighted, registering an exponential increase of 122.4%, while the production of wax stood at four tons (108.3%).
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With these indicators, marked by the constant growth of production, the Angolan agricultural sector will be able to contribute to price stability in goods of wide consumption in the country in the near future.
The investment made in projects related to agriculture, valued at 550 billion kwanzas, has already allowed the creation of 24,000 new jobs.
Financing
From 2020 to November 2023, 12 billion 894 million 316 thousand and 764 kwanzas were disbursed, amounts that were used to finance 1 767 projects in the 18 provinces, with emphasis on Luanda, which benefited from more than Kz 4.1 billion for 776 projects out of the 792 approved.
According to the 2022/2023 Agricultural Year Report, the country's capital stood out with a significant number of projects linked to the Informal Economy Reconversion Program (PREI) and the Integrated Plan for the Acceleration of Family Agriculture and Fisheries - Technical-Material Supply for the year 2022.
In addition, the overall amount disbursed was also invested in projects to support peasant families for the production of wheat and corn, as well as support for agricultural cooperatives, with community funds set up, among other actions carried out in the 18 provinces of the country.
In total, the portfolio includes 2,218 approved projects, valued at more than 17.1 billion kwanzas, an operation that is being managed by the Agrarian Development Support Fund (FADA). QCB/AC/VM/DOJ
