Luanda - The Republic of Angola and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire are aiming to boost bilateral agricultural relations in the short term, with emphasis on the value chains of cocoa and coffee production, which are mainly grown in the northern provinces of Angola.
To this end, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, led by the secretary of State for Agriculture and Fisheries, João Manuel Bartolomeu da Cunha, visited Abidjan from the 13th to the 17th of this month.
In Cote d'Ivoire, the Angolan government official held meetings with the Angolan Ambassador to that central African territory, Domingos Feliciano Pacheco, and with the Côte d'Ivoire Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani.
The technical teams from both countries then outlined the sectors of mutual interest that could be included in the draft documents for the subsequent signing of co-operation agreements in the mentioned areas.
The Angolan technicians paid a lengthy visit to the Agricultural Research Centre, which specialises in the cultivation and multiplication of coffee, palm and cocoa seedlings, as well as agricultural and industrial sectors linked to the planting, production, industrialisation and marketing of these products.
According to a note from the Angolan Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire, under the terms of the agreements, there will be public interaction linked to vulgarisation and technical assistance for coffee, palma and cocoa producers, as well as a visit to a unit for transforming these cultures.
The note said that the Angolan delegation also interacted with the director general of the National Agricultural Research Centre (CNRA), the public institution responsible for financing the production chain of these crops.
The Angolan Embassy document emphasises that, following the five-day visit, the secretary of State and Ambassador Domingos Pacheco exchanged views on the importance and urgency of setting up the Bilateral Joint Commission between Angola and Côte d'Ivoire soon, adding that this will be a decisive milestone for signing the legal instruments to shape and revitalise mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
The secretary of State for Agriculture and Fisheries, João Manuel Bartolomeu da Cunha, took the opportunity to thank the delegation of Angolan experts for their hospitality and the cordial way in which they were received, and expressed his conviction and hope that relations between the countries will undoubtedly be on the right track.
It should be remembered that Côte d'Ivoire's economy is still based on agriculture, with 40% of the world's cocoa production, ahead of Ghana, with a national production of around 1.335 million tonnes. It is also the largest producer of coffee, cashew nuts and cotton, among other crops.
However, the promotion of cocoa production in Angola has spread to other provinces, outside the traditional region of Cabinda.
Approximately two years ago, 40,000 cocoa seedlings were produced and distributed, which led to the emergence of new areas to promote this crop in the provinces of Zaire, Bengo, Uíge, Cuanza Norte and Cuanza Sul, with cocoa production expected to increase over the next three years.
In the field of coffee, production was 6,229 tonnes, a variation of 19.7% on last year, of which 656 tonnes came from the contribution of the business sector.
Among other officials, the Angola´s delegation included the director-general of the Institute of the National Coffee Council (INCA), the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Angolan Coffee Development Fund, the National Director of Agriculture and Cattle Breeding and the Director of the Office of the secretary of State for Agriculture and Cattle Breeding.
MDS/MRA/jmc
