Africa-Press – Angola. The Support Towards the Operationalisation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy Phase II (STOSAR II) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has financial reinforcement of 10 million euro disbursed by the European Union (EU), the Angolan Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Isaac dos Anjos, said Thursday, in Luanda.
The government official, who was speaking at the launch ceremony of STOSAR II, announced that Angola will benefit from 250,000 euros of the total amount, to finance Government programs.
He also mentioned that the financing, to be disbursed over a period of four years, will operationalize the agricultural policy of the country and the SADC member states.
He highlighted that the continuity of the project in Angola will strengthen animal health, including the monitoring and mitigation of cross-border impact diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, ruminant plague and pathogenic avian influenza, which affect trade in animals and products of animal origin.
“Like STOSAR I, launched in 2019, the new phase of the project will intensify the promotion of food security, economic development, poverty reduction and regional integration through agriculture”, he considered.
On the other hand, Isaac dos Anjos recognized that the country still faces many challenges that require a comprehensive approach, including the data gap, changing diet, policy deficiencies and limitations in knowledge sharing.
According to the minister, Angola also has gaps in the collection of appropriate data and the assessment of food availability, as well as in the preparation of a comprehensive food balance sheet.
Developed by the SADC secretariat, in partnership with FAO, the STOSAR II project emerges through an extended consultative process with member countries, building on the lessons and results achieved in phase 1.
The initiative focuses on improving access to markets for the region’s vegetable and animal production, strengthening the capacity of SADC member countries, within the framework of international export requirements, as well as improving the competitiveness of the region’s agricultural products on a global level.
The first phase, with an execution period of four years, involved financing nine million euros, also from the European Union, to promote agricultural activity in 16 countries in the region.
According to the first phase report, the project also technically supported more than 86 professionals from the Institute of Agrarian Development, from the provinces of Luanda, Bengo, Huambo, Benguela, Huíla, Namibe, Bié and Cuanza-Sul.
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