World Report

ngola is rich in land and used to be self-sufficient before gaining independence. With 85 per cent of the working population employed on the land, the government has embarked on a long-term drive to boost agricultural output.
Agriculture minister Gilberto Buta Lutucuta “First, we have to organise the population so that they can form cooperative associations and then we must boost production. Even before we begin to increase agricultural production we have to provide the population with seeds, fertilisers, tractors and a system of long-term credit.”
The challenge facing Angola’s farmers and the government is exacerbated by the fact that more than two million people have been displaced by conflict. Something like a fifth of the entire population is homeless and depends on food aid. “We will give free supplies to the refugees so that they can start a new life,” says Mr Lutucuta.
The authorities aim to provide farmers with technical support. Angola was once the third-largest coffee exporter, but the sector went into sharp decline after the war broke out. “We are committed to developing coffee production in the central provinces,” says the minister.

Recio
‘Angola will surely export meat to Europe in the near future’

The government would also like the private sector to put more money into livestock farming. “We are trying to attract more investment to this area through incentives,” he says. “We need investment in the livestock sector in southern Angola where we have large areas of land waiting to be exploited.”
One such investor is Tecnocarro.
It started out supplying tyres in 1982 and has since diversified into food production. “We have invested in agriculture, fisheries and livestock because they are necessary for our people,” says administrator Jose Carlos Recio. “We have invested a lot of money in the livestock business in the south of the country, where our project is the third largest in the region.”
The company has 2.7 million head of cattle and Mr Recio is starting to target overseas markets. “This is a great opportunity for Angola to produce meat for export. It is not easy to compete with countries like Brazil, Argentina and England because they have more experience, better technology and conditions,” he says.

“But we have been helped by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth and BSE in Europe. Our cattle is raised 24 hours a day outside, eating only grass. People have lost confidence in European meat. Angola will surely export meat to Europe in the near future.”
The country’s historical links with Portugal have not faded away entirely. Escom, a Grupo Espirito Santo company, has been an active player in Angola since the beginning of the last century.
The firm has become involved in several water-sanitation projects during the last few years and is achieving a growing presence in food retail. “There will be more investments in this area, and we will develop more,” says Escom administrator Helder Bataglia.
“Our main concern is the distribution of goods in the north, centre and south of the country. If we don’t make this distribution, we are achieving nothing because what people need most is food.”
Escom’s fisheries operations are concentrated in Namibe, where they have become a crucial element of the local economy. “We have reconstructed one of the most important fish-based industries there, which I am sure will contribute a lot to the development of Namibe province,” says Mr Bataglia.