Cuvango: The 'Terra Negra' farm, situated in the municipality of Cuvango in Hula province, has been focusing on the multiplication of improved seeds and establishing vegetable nurseries over the past three years. This initiative aims to enhance agricultural production and increase the income of local producers.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the project began four years ago and currently operates on more than ten hectares of land, out of the 64 hectares controlled by the company. Jos© Borges, the owner of the farm, shared this information during a cataloguing visit by the municipal directorate for the Promotion of Integrated Economic Development, which aims to better direct support to the farm.
Jos© Borges explained that the farm is working on multiplying cassava seeds, sweet potatoes, and black beans due to the absence of a tuber and root production crop in the municipality. These varieties are in demand in the Hula market. As an example, Borges mentioned that the farm is cultivating 3.5 hectares of sweet potatoes, which have been traded to local producers for the past six months.
In 2024, the farm produced 36 tons of corn and beans, with six hectares dedicated to each crop. Borges also highlighted plans to expand into fruit tree cultivation, aiming to install five hectares of citrus fruits this year. Currently, the farm has four thousand seedlings from the province of Bi©.
The farm collaborates with Jardins da Yoba for improved seeds and has acquired additional seeds from Portugal and South Africa for vegetable production. To further increase production levels, Borges expressed the need for financing to mechanize the production process. This would involve acquiring machinery for land preparation, assistance, and technical monitoring.
The farm currently has six permanent employees and more than 10 casual employees, a number that will increase when it explores its entire area, intended for agricultural production.