Ondjiva - The national public consultation on family farming will allow the country to become self-sustainable in terms of food production enabling it to fight and reduce hunger, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) consultant in Angola, Clemente Paulo, said Friday in Cunene.
The consultant, who was speaking during the provincial public consultation dialogue meeting on the national family farming policy, said the initiative aims to gather opinions and ideas for the creation of a policy for the development of family farming and sustainable rural extension.
He explained that the public consultation, which will take place from July 4 to 31 in the country's 18 provinces, will permit an open dialogue with all those involved in agriculture to have the opportunity to make their proposals to increase food production in Angola.
With this public consultation, Paulo said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry intends to draw up the national policy for family farming and rural development as a way of diversifying the economy.
Clemente Paulo stressed that due to Angola's population growth, which stands at around three million people a year, there is a need to keep up with this dynamic by increasing production levels through family farming.
Cunene director of Agriculture, Carlos Ndanyengondunge, on his turn, underlined the importance of collecting contributions that aid the government to draw up a more viable and sustainable policy.
Cunene province has 75,538 family farmers in the municipalities of Cuanhama, Ombadja, Namacunde, Cuvelai, Curoca and Cahama.
In Angola, family farming is responsible for more than 80 percent of food production.
The first phase of the public consultation on the national family farming policy covers the provinces of Cunene, Moxico, Cuando Cubango and Cuanza Norte.
The consultation meeting was attended by 100 participants, including municipal agricultural directors, producers, presidents of agricultural cooperatives and associations and banking institutions. PEM/LHE/QCB/AMP
