Huambo — A total of 970k tons of grains (corn, rice, wheat, and maize) were produced in the central province of Huambo in 2024, with the involvement of 200,000 family farmers and entrepreneurs, across 700,000 hectares of arable land.
Speaking to the press on Friday (03), at the end of the 9th ordinary session of the Huambo provincial government, chaired by Governor Pereira Alfredo, Tomás Tiago, head of the local department of the National Cereal Institute (INCER), said these are encouraging figures, compared to 2023, when 928,000 tons were produced.
He emphasized that these numbers have grown annually since 2019, when the province recorded 853,670 tons of cereals.
Despite this progress, he noted that rice production is still insignificant, while wheat is already in good supply, requiring only further incentives at a time when corn cultivation is a reality, despite the difficulties in family farmers' incomes.
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He stated that the 17 municipalities of the province of Huambo produce corn and wheat, the latter with strong market demand, while rice stands out only in Bailundo, Caála, Ecunha, and Ucuma.
Tomás Tiago acknowledged that grain transportation remains an issue, as does the shortage of technicians and the lack of storage facilities in rural areas, where producers do not work in a chain and, therefore, have difficulty accessing industries.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that the family sector is the largest contributor to grain production, accounting for over 90% of the production, duly monitored by INCER, the Institute for Agrarian Development (IDA), and the local Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Office.
The meeting addressed, among other things, the presentation of the implementation report of the Integrated Program for Local Development and Poverty Alleviation (PIDLCP), the Integrated Municipal Intervention Plan (PIIM), grain production in the province of Huambo, and the debt of public and private institutions to water and energy companies.
