Ondjiva – At least 2,135 farming families in southern Cunene Province have been integrated in field schools over the past two years, to learn vegetable production techniques as part of the sustainable family agriculture project.
The information was disclosed Tuesday to ANGOP by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) coordinator in Cunene, Humberto Alves, noting that the four-year project focuses mainly on women.
The training aimed to help mitigate food shortage of the population in the south of the country as part of the Project for Strengthening Resilience and Food and Nutritional Security (FRESAN).
In Cunene Province, at least 61 field schools have been implemented from the total of 75 planned, specifically in the municipalities of Cuanhama, Namacunde, Ombadja, Curoca, Cuvelai and Cahama.
"Field schools are strengthening farming productive capacities, oriented towards the introduction of drought resistant crops, pest control and irrigation systems", Humberto Alves said.
He added that with this initiative, rural communities will get used to producing tomatoes, onions, cabbage, eggplant, garlic, among other products all over the year, as well as raising small animals to mitigate the lack of food.
Humberto Alves underlined that the objective is to aid farming families to quickly integrate the productive and nutritional system.
The project includes the distribution of means and agricultural inputs to guarantee the sustainability of farming families and promote resilience and food security inside the communities.
Funded by the European Union and FAO technical assistance, the project worth seven million, plans to install 225 field schools in the provinces of Cunene, Huila and Namibe.
