Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço said Wednesday that the infrastructures being built to tackle drought in the southern region of the country, besides saving human lives and quenching the thirst of the animals, will boost a large scale agricultural production.
João Lourenço made the statement at the opening of the meeting of the Council of the Republic, the collegiate advisory body to the Head of State, which focused on food security.
According to the president, the hydraulic infrastructures being built in Cunene, Namibe and Huíla, as part of the program to combat the effects of the drought in southern Angola, will promote a large-scale agricultural production of goods and fish in their gigantic reservoirs and extensive canals.
“We're talking about a total storage capacity of 1896 million cubic meters of water and 440 kilometers of canals in the four projects in Cunene province, which will benefit the region when the last of these projects is completed next year,” Lourenço said.
Domestic production
President João Lourenço stressed the government’s commitment to promote an increased domestic food output and reduce imports.
“Our ambition is to see the products in the basic food basket and the strategic food reserve essentially made up of locally produced, processed and packaged goods,” he said.
Fertilizer industry
João Lourenço assured his advisors that fertilizers and vaccines for cattle, pigs, laying hens and poultry will no longer be imported in their entirety, with the entry into operation of the Soyo fertilizer industry and the vaccine center in Huambo in the near future.
The president added that the government, in partnership with the private sector, is also committed to building slaughterhouses, logistic platforms, rice and wheat husking units and storage silos, not only along the Lobito corridor, but in strategic locations in the country, already defined, to absorb national cereal production.
“We are encouraged by the fact that we have managed to considerably reduce beef imports, which were a burden on our foreign currency,” he said.
The Head of State underscored that everything must be done to reduce pork and chicken imports AND Increase domestic production. DC/ART/TED/AMP
