Luanda: Angola’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Isaac dos Anjos, revealed that the nation is currently exploiting merely 17% of its 36 million hectares of arable land. This statistic highlights significant opportunities for private sector investment in agriculture.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the minister addressed the potential during the “Swiss Business Council” meeting, organized by the Angola-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. Dos Anjos emphasized that Angola’s climate is conducive to growing a variety of crops, including coffee, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, soybeans, cotton, rice, and Mediterranean fruits.
He also noted the interest from international investors, mentioning that Brazilian companies have requested 500,000 hectares and a similar allocation is being prepared for Chinese investors. Moreover, there is a reserved 500,000 hectares for large-scale projects, such as irrigation, in the eastern regions.
In the livestock sector, Angola currently boasts 4.8 million goats, 3 million cattle, 384,000 sheep, 1.7 million pigs, and 9 million poultry. Dos Anjos stated that to meet local demand, the country requires a production capacity of at least 120 million birds annually. Projects are underway to produce 80 million birds per year to provide more affordable protein.
However, he warned of potential challenges in exporting agricultural products to Europe from December, due to certification requirements for good agronomic practices. To address this, projects are being developed to enhance family farming, enabling farmers to transition from subsistence to market-oriented production.