Lubango — The director of the Action for Rural and Environmental Development (ADRA) in Huíla and Namibe provinces, Anastácia Tchilete, stated on Friday that the 24 years of peace in Angola have allowed the recovery of the Productive Base and the reoccupation of rural areas.

She said this is an achievement that contrasts with the scenario experienced until 2002, marked by the destruction of agricultural infrastructure and the abandonment of rural areas. According to the interviewee, in the post-war period, the country went from minimal production levels to a reality in which agriculture once again assumed a central role in the lives of families.

In statements to ANGOP, Anastácia Tchilete stated that currently family farming is responsible for more than 80% of the food consumed in Angola, highlighting its weight in the national food system. In Huíla province, the source said, the evolution is also significant when compared to the first years after peace, as the province went from essentially subsistence production to involving more than 312,000 families in agricultural activity.

She noted that the cultivated area reached approximately 620,000 hectares, a significant increase compared to the post-war period, when vast stretches of land remained unproductive. These indicators, she added, consolidate Huíla as one of the main agricultural and livestock centers in the country, with emphasis on cereal and cattle production.

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The ADRA director stated that there has also been the emergence of cooperatives and an emerging agricultural business sector, which was non-existent or insignificant in the years immediately following the conflict.

Even so, Anastácia Tchilete considers that the gains achieved over the 24 years of peace constitute a solid basis for the development of the sector, advocating for more investment and effective public policies to consolidate the progress and ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.