Luanda - President João Lourenço on Friday in Luanda called for the creation of innovative policies in agriculture that help maximize the resources available in this sector.
The Head of State made the call at the swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers of Agriculture and Forestry, and Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
According to the president, Angola has everything to do well, such as arable land, abundant water, a good climate and people willing to work at a time when much is being said about the need to fight hunger and poverty.
João Lourenço stressed the fact that currently family farming is growing and boosting production in the countryside of all essential goods for human consumption.
The president added that the country will soon have fertilizer factories in Zaire province and animal vaccine factories in Huambo, investments that the Head of State said will give the country everything it needs to make the “long-awaited boost in agricultural production”.
Angolan government is making a huge effort to bring abundant water to the south of the country, namely to the provinces of Huila, Cunene and Namibe, the president said, adding that with these projects, millions of cubic meters of water will be accumulated and distributed to the population of those regions.
“We need to make the most of this investment, which is already underway in Cunene. It will soon happen in Huila and Namibe and these millions of cubic meters of water must be transformed into food. This is the only way to justify the effort we are making,” Lourenço said.
President João Lourenço requested the new head of the Agriculture and Forestry portfolio to draw up a plan to get the greatest possible return from the investments being made as part of the vast program to combat the effects of the drought in southern Angola.
Higher education
On the occasion, the president defended the need to change the current picture of the Higher Education sector, especially in public higher education institutions.
“Make a diagnosis that identifies the weak points, where we need to improve and bring us concrete proposals of what needs to be done to have quality and demanding public higher education, which is not limited to obtaining diplomas, but which actually trains our young people,” Lourenço said.
Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos was sworn in as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, while Albano Vicente Lopes Ferreira as Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
AFL/DC/AMP
