Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Francisco de Assis, traveled, Saturday (29), to the Irrigated Perimeter of Quipela, in Sumbe, Cuanza-Sul, where deforestation, land preparation and installation of an irrigation system are underway dropwise.
Francisco de Assis, accompanied by technicians from the Agrarian Development Institute (IDA), Gesterra, the company managing the project, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, was on site to participate in the actions that mark the beginning of the work.
The representative of Gesterra in Cuanza-Sul, Vivaldo Chicala, explained that the initial work is underway with the preparation of 100 hectares of land, which will be distributed among families in the eight neighborhoods located in the areas adjacent to the perimeter.
“We are about to start work, so in November, the first 50 hectares already prepared will be distributed, in the order of one hectare per family, and, gradually, we will cover all the planned families”, he said, stressing that each family will choose the production they want.
Vivaldo Chicala said that the project plans to explore an area comprising 600 hectares, with the process taking place smoothly, with the engagement of Gesterra and the local administrative authorities, as well as IDA, which guarantees the implementation of field schools to provide technical support to the peasants.
The director general of IDA, Anita Esperança, revealed that those services will provide direct assistance to the project, with the opening of three field schools. “We are going to implement three field schools, as they constitute a segment that aims to guarantee the training and training of peasant families, with theoretical and practical knowledge, above all, in matters related to production and care to be taken to ensure quality,” she said.
Another challenge for field schools, according to Anita Esperança, is to empower peasant families with new techniques and the introduction, in the production process, of improved seeds, as a premise to obtain quality.
“We understand that, in addition to training in new agricultural techniques, we must train producers on how to deal with the production process, so that quality products are harvested,” said the official.
Anita Esperança declared that the country has 6,000 field schools, which have guaranteed farmers the best cultivation practices, giving satisfactory results in the harvests.
Renewed Hope
The director of the Provincial Office for Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry, Laurindo Ladeira, considered the start of the Quipela Irrigated Perimeter project a gain and the renewal of the hopes of peasant families in the region. “We are witnessing the start of one of the projects that will prosper, judging by the technical conditions created, which will guarantee production at all times of the year”, he said.
He said that the steps taken ensure that, by the first half of November, 50 hectares of land will be delivered to the beneficiaries, as an indicator for the start of the project.
As for the operationalization of the project, Laurindo Chambula Ladeira, added that, with the delivery of 50 hectares, 50 families of the 800 registered throughout the region will be included in the first phase, with emphasis on the localities of Ngangula Sede, Balela, Nhuma and others.
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