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Agriculture
OVERVIEW
AGRICULTURE
The Angolan government identified agriculture as
one of the priority sectors that would help the coun-
try reduce unemployment, food shortages and poor
living standards.
Despite contributing only 10,2% of GDP in 2009,
agriculture is the fastest growing sector although
it has not recover from the losses of the civil war.
The sector has good potentials due to abundant
and relatively good land (13% of arable land under
cultivation). With gradual rehabilitation of rural infra-
structure, the sector is gradually recovering. Further-
more, Angola has one of the most important fishing
grounds in Africa and 53 million hectares of forest
still to be explored.
The government has been investing heavily in agri-
culture as part of a USD 1.2 billion 2009-12 invest-
ment plan with credit line from the China Develop-
ment Bank.
1,4% of the total budget (USD$ 0,65 billion) will be
devoted to agriculture and fishing in 2011. In 2010,
a USD 350 million credit line was set up for medium
and small-scale producers and peasants associa-
tions. The World Bank has financed 6 operations
in the sector, representing a cumulative lending
amount of UA 75,45 million.
14 massive rural development programs in agricul-
ture and fishing sectors have been prioritized to sup-
port agriculture production, implement agro-industri-
al clusters, improve the management of fishing and
strengthen ecosystems.
In the 1970’s, Angola was the 4th largest coffee
exporter and almost alimentary self-sufficient in all
crops except wheat. Under colonial rule, about 2,500
large commercial farms and 250,000 peasants were
involved in growing coffee. At that time, other ex-
ported products included maize, cotton, sugarcane,
banana, cassava and sisal.
Constrained by the presence of millions of land-
mines, the displacement of rural population to the
capital during the conflict and the global lack of infra-
structure at the end of the war, the current develop-
ment of agriculture is far below Angola’s vast agri-
cultural potential and still needs a boost to take off.
Despite an incredible combination of favorable natu-
ral conditions (climate, available acreage, extensive
hydrographic network and fertility of virgin lands),
the contribution of agriculture to total GDP in 2010
hardly reaches 10%, with a poor progression of 2%
since Angola reached stability in 2002. Furthermore,
Angola has 53 million hectares of forests, which oc-
cupy 40% of land area, representing significant in-
vestment opportunities for the timber industry.
As national production covers only 46% of local
needs, Angola still has to import over half of its con-
sumption. About 13% of the 35 million hectares of
arable lands are being currently exploited and solely
3,5% of them are irrigated.
For the 2010-2011 period, the cultivated area is esti-
mated at 4,8 million hectares with an estimated total
production of 21 million tons.
Main crops are maize, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, cot-
ton, tobacco, legumes (beans, peanuts), roots and
tubers (cassava, irish potato, sweet potato), vegeta-
bles (tomato, onion, carrot, cabbage, avocado)and
fruits (pineapple, mango, banana, papaya). Other
crops productions include soya, palm, millet, rice,
wheat, aromatic plants.
A particular attention is given to cotton as Angola
used to be an important producer during the colonial
era. According to the IMF, the price of this strategic
commodity rose 120% in 2010 and
27% since the beginning of 2011.
Kwanza Sul province is expected to become the
major centre of production of cotton as the area
hosts the Gangula project in Sumbe, an integrated
project that will provide employment and well fare
to thousands of families. During the first phase of
re-launching covering 2006-2009, the government
injected US$ 39 million in the construction of irriga-
tions systems. Additional investments of US$ 30 mil-
lion planned until 2013 will implement the conditions
to catch with the average African levels of productiv-
ity. The project covers an area of 3200 hectares and
will be conducted by Sansung Corporation and Honil
Engineering & Construction.
Other cotton manufactures located in Kwanza Norte,
Bengo, Benguela and Luanda provinces are await-
ing for rehabilitation. Malanje used to produce al-
most 60% of the total production in the mid 1970’s.
At that time, the cotton was processed by over 300
Angolan textile units.