Nairobi – Angola’s Vice-President, Esperança da Costa, on Wednesday said it is currently underway in the country the National Plan to Promote Grain Production (Planagrão) which will involve more women and young people as part of the food security strategy.

Esperança da Costa made the statement, while addressing the panel "Investing in the Transformation of Food Systems in Africa", held on the sidelines of the African Climate Summit.

The Vice-President said the Angolan government continues to work towards the diversification of its economy by intensifying the country's openness to private investment.

The strategy is also aimed at dealing with the shortage of cereals, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, one of the main producers of this product, having emphasised that at this stage investments are being made in various segments of the country's agricultural sector, with the adoption of sustainable practices. 

As part of this investment, farmers are benefiting from improved seeds, credit and technical training. 

"We still haven't achieved what is desirable, which is active participation in agribusiness and the development of the agricultural value chain," admitted Esperança da Costa, who recognised the role of women in family farming, which accounts for around 70 percent of national production.

Planagrão  

Planagrão plans to secure access to energy and water in areas where the project will be implemented, restore silos, warehouses and railway lines, in accordance with the priorities to be defined by the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Budgeted at 2.8 billion kwanzas, Panagrão is being developed in the eastern provinces of Moxico, Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte and Cuando Cubango and other regions of the country with climatic conditions for the production of maize, soya, wheat and rice.

Data from the plan indicates that out of the 2.8 trillion kwanzas, 1.6 trillion (kwanzas) will be used to finance the private sector, as part of the strategy of the Development Bank of Angola (BDA).

NE/AL/ADR/Amp/jmc