Gabela – At least 10 million coffee seedlings have been made available by the Mukafe project, to support 1,200 producers in Cuanza-Sul province and improve the performance and growth of the coffee farming value chain in Angola.
The information was disclosed Saturday by the Mukafe project coordinator, José Mahinga, on the sidelines of training to “strengthen the economic inclusion of women leaders in the coffee value chain”.
According to the coordinator, in the 1st phase, 10 million seedlings are available, out of the total of 15 million planned, of which 600 for beneficiaries in Amboím and the same number for Libolo, both in Cuanza-Sul, as well as for Uíge and Cuanza-Norte provinces.
“At Cuanza-Sul, we intend to support, directly, acting in the coffee value chain, through the strengthening of cooperatives and producer associations, training, qualities and processing, with a view to contributing to the quality of coffee in Angola”, he said.
Another action to be developed in the region, according to the source, concerns the renewal of coffee plantations, through the massive production of seedlings and identification of markets for coffee.
“Our purpose is to produce with quality, using technical arguments, provide services that compete for coffee production through extension agents, private companies, provide generative seedlings (seeds) and vegetative (cuttings taken from plants), technology and knowledge”, he concluded.
Coffee on the national market costs between 1,200 and 1,500 Kwanzas , while on the international market, Arabica coffee is priced at 5 US dollars per kilogram and Robusta coffee is priced at 3.2 US dollars per kilogram.
The Mukafe project entered into operation in 2023, it currently has an 8 million Euros funding provided by the European Union for a 5- year execution in Cuanza-Sul, Cuanza-Norte and Uíge.
Mukafe's components include “strengthening the National Coffee Institute and providing services to coffee producers”, “improving production and strengthening the capabilities of young and women producers”.
LC/SC/CF/AMP
