Malanje - The municipality of Cunda-dya-base in Malanje province, plans to harvest 164 tons of cotton, starting next July, on the 54 hectares cultivated in January this year by 160 family farmers.
The production falls within the scope of the Cotton cultivation revitalization program in Baixa de Cassanje, developed since 2022 by the company “Investimentos e Participações (IEP)”, holder of TEXTANG II, through the delivery of contributions to families and subsequent purchase of their production.
According to IEP's production manager, Santos Gomes, in addition to the 54 hectares, it is planned to cultivate 46 new hectares of cotton in the next few days, with the involvement of another 40 families, expecting another 136 tons to be harvested, totaling 300 tons for this agricultural year.
He said that the estimated harvest for this year exceeds that of 2023, amounting to 30 tons in an area of 60 hectares, cultivated by 83 peasants.
He recalled that, last year, families received five million 830 thousand kwanzas through the sale of cotton to IEP, with an estimated value of 12 million 700 thousand kwanzas for this year.
He mentioned, on the other hand, that the cotton produced in the municipality of Cunda-dya-base covers only 30 percent of the needs of the TEXTANG II factory, adding that the target is to meet 50 percent.
In 2025, the company plans to expand production to the municipalities of Quela and Cahombo, in order to boost cotton cultivation in the historic Baixa de Cassanje region.
Angola spends around 12 million dollars annually on cotton imports, which is why the Executive created strategies for the business community to invest in the relaunch of this culture in the country which, in the 70s, was the fourth largest producer in the world, with 86 thousand tons/year.
Malanje is among the provinces with a history and potential for the production of “white gold”, with a reserved area of 250,000 hectares suitable for cotton cultivation in the Baixa de Cassanje region, which comprises the municipalities of Marimba, Cunda-dya-base , Quela, Cahombo and Kiwaba Nzoji.
Currently, the country's textile industry has three fabric factories, rehabilitated by the Executive, and which rely on cotton produced in the country, namely Satec (Cuanza-Norte), Textang II (in Luanda) and África Têxtil (in Benguela ), who are dedicated to spinning, weaving and clothing. ACC/NC/PBC/DOJ
