Company tests model of simultaneous cultivation of rice and beans in Chibia Chibia - A pioneering system in Angola of simultaneous cultivation, called 'rice and bean intercropping' has been experimented since August this year, in production fields of the Jardins da Yoba group, in the municipality of Chibia, Huíla province.
The trial takes place within the framework of a memorandum of strategic cooperation between the Angolan company and the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) of Brazil, which was developed for a better use of the cultivation area, as well as for the diversification of income.
The combination of rice and beans is a nutritional option, as together they provide essential amino acids, in addition to being rich in fiber and nutrients such as B vitamins and calcium.
This 'duo' helps prevent diabetes, anemia and cardiovascular problems.
These are four rice strains of Oryza sativa and an equal number of beans, of the species Phaseolus vulgaris, all from Brazil, which are being combined for the success and expansion of the initiative.
When talking about the subject, UFLA professor Flávia Botelho explained that they are crops already adapted to the local rainfed system, where the producer plants other seedbeds and will have the option of consortium, a technology to expand in family farming.
He said that in this system, the idea is to plant and harvest interspersed to facilitate management, because when rice is planted, it will serve as protection against weed incidents in the bean, which will minimize the pressure of the population in pest control.
It was said to be a first test, and as rice is a grass, it emerges from the soil a little more fragile than a legume, they planted the rice ten days before sowing the beans, with the first crop at the bottom and the second at the top.
The also specialist in rice crop improvement, said that it is a production that takes up to four months to harvest, and that of beans will be brought forward because it has a shorter cycle, of 90 days, and that of rice is 15 days longer.
In turn, the executive director of the company Jardins da Yoba, Creusa Walter, said it was an advantageous experiment and they intend to continue the breeding research, to find the best solutions for the country's production system.
He pointed out that one way to take this practice to small farmers is through technical cooperatives that will disseminate knowledge.
The memorandum of strategic cooperation between the company Jardins da Yoba and UFLA was signed in 2023 and has a durability of 10 years, which among other actions includes the transversal training of staff in various matters.
The company Jardins da Yoba invests at least US$120,000/year in training and travel actions for technicians, among other expenses within the framework of the memorandum with UFLA, being the only one certified by FAO as a seed producer in Angola. MS/MS/DOJ
