Lubango - The improvement of access for the flow of production from the countryside to the consumption centers and investments in agricultural inputs for a more mechanized activity, are among the priorities of the government of Huíla, to boost the “Corn Triangle”.
It is estimated that at least 80 percent of the corn harvested annually in the province of Huíla comes from the so-called 'Corn Triangle,' which includes the municipalities of Caconda, Caluquembe, Chicomba Chipindo, Quipungo and Matala, which are powerhouses producing white and yellow corn.
In the most productive areas, those found in the courses of the Cunene, Cuvango, Caculuvar, Colui, Neves, Sendi and Gangelas dams stand out.
In an interview with Angola's National Radio, speaking of the 'Corn Corridor', the governor of Huíla, Nuno Mahapi, said that it currently produces most of the corn that the province sells and consumes.
He stated that the greatest investment in agriculture is the culture of the people to produce and in this the municipalities have potential, but it is necessary to continue to invest, the first of which involves the construction of priority roads to reach the large production centers.
The second factor, as described by the governor, is the need for more investments to have mechanized agriculture, which will produce on a large scale, without forgetting family activity.
“The Corn Triangle, by itself, already exists and is working, but we must not lose sight of the fact that we have to make large investments. Well treated, it can solve food problems not only in Huíla, but also in the country,” he continued.
He made it known that the responsibility for the management of the irrigated perimeters was already handed over to the provinces in December 2023 and has already made the decision to give the land to those who work it, not to those who maintain it without making any intervention.
He said that it is infrastructure, which if the government makes the right decision, will generate jobs and give the self-capacity to feed Huíla, later promoting exports to other provinces and making some exchanges, so they need investments to make better use of them.
“The first investment is the man and it is this that is being treated and with time have satisfactory results and make better use of the public money invested in these infrastructures, to solve the problems of Angolans,” he said.
In addition to the perimeters, he pointed out that the province has the Sendi, Neves and Ganjelas dams, which need intervention, as well as several dams, many of them lost due to lack of maintenance over time, so they need greater investments, for better use of water.
The governor recalled having projects for the construction of new dams to counteract the cyclical problem of drought and also for population growth, hence the continuous mobilization of resources to build two dams along the Caculuvar River, not only to supply the population, but also for agriculture and livestock.
He detailed that the Nompombo and Tunda dams of “Rei dos Gambos”, which could dampen water to sustain the southern area and upstream of the Humpata area, will also need interventions as well. MS/MS/DOJ
