Lubango – Cattle breeders in central and southern provinces of Huíla, Namibe and Cunene have contributed at least 80 percent to the 43 percent reduction in the country's beef import tax since 2023, the president of the Cooperative of Cattle Breeders of Southern Angola (CCGSA), Carlos Damião has said.
Over 85 per cent of this quota is provided by traditional breeders, while the rest is by ranchers.
Speaking to ANGOP about the recent statement by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José Massano, in Lubango, that beef imports have been reduced to 43 percent since 2023, as a result of investments, the Damião admitted that the CCGSA's contribution is still insignificant.
‘The contribution from Huíla, Namibe and Cunene is significant and I would venture to say that these three provinces are responsible for 70 or 80 percent of the drop to 43 percent of imported meat, but we still have Benguela, Cuanza-Sul and Cuaanza-Norte and Malanje producing a considerable amount of pigs and poultry,’ he said.
He pointed out that every day 20 to 40 tons of live cattle are transported by truck to Luanda for slaughter, a challenge that calls for new investments in local slaughterhouses to halt the process, as the best option would be to sell the meat.
Damião added that in five years Angola could become self-sufficient in animal protein, goat and beef, which could reach 70 or 80 percent of the market's needs.
He said that ‘Angola is to be congratulated’ for no longer importing eggs and believes that with the investment by the Ministry of Agriculture, this gain will also be made in poultry meat production.
Another element that must be taken into account, according to Carlos Damião, is electricity to the farms, since using generators makes production and the product more expensive, aggravated by the poor state of the roads.
According to the cattle farmer, a farm spends between 1,000 and 2,000 liters of diesel a week and the production costs make beef more expensive.
CCGSA members have at least 15,000 head of cattle and 65,000 goats and pigs. Sheep farming is still in its infancy, with the challenge of improving the quality of lamb meat and breeding for self-sufficiency. EM/MS/DAN/AMP
