Sumbe - The provincial secretary of UNITA (largest opposition party) in the province of Cuanza-Sul, Armando Kaquepa, defended, this Monday, in Sumbe, a greater focus by the local government on projects aimed at increasing agricultural production.
Cuanza-Sul has a total area of 2,817,504 hectares of arable land reserved for framing.
In the 2022/23 agricultural year, it achieved gross production in the various sectors of around 3.5 million tons of products.
The politician, who was speaking at a press conference about the “socio-economic situation of the province”, highlighted that the province has great potential in the agricultural sector, which requires more investment to promote, above all, family farming”.
“We have arable land and rivers, which, if well explored, can combat hunger and poverty in the region”, the deputy said.
The rehabilitation of the roads that connect the municipalities of Quirimbo, Assango, Atome, Lonhê and São Lucas, over a length of more than 150 kilometers, with a view to boosting commercial exchange and transporting production from the countryside to the city and vice-versa, merited also a statement from the partisan.
He urged the authorities to install electricity from Cambambe, in the municipalities of Quilenda, Mussende, Cassongue, Ebo, Seles and Conda, with a view to boosting economic development.
He also appealed traditional authorities to avoid land conflict, which has caused the deaths of many families.
Agricultural projects
In Cuanza-Sul, the Family Agriculture and Commercialization Development project (SAMAP), coordinated by Agrarion Develompment Institute (IDA), which has supported, since 2018 to date, close to 30 thousand peasant families in the municipalities of Amboim, Cassongue, Cela, Conda and Quibala, finances 90 cooperatives, with a value of over 100 million Kwanzas (US$ 114k).
On the other hand, the Commercial Agriculture Development project (PDAC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which is being implemented in the 12 municipalities, with financing, to date, of 35 Business Plans, while another 50 have already been approved and are awaiting for financing.
The AGRIJOVEM-CS Program, initiated by the Provincial Government, which to date has more than 50 youth cooperatives created in the 12 municipalities.
IS/LC/ALH//CF/jmc
