Africa-Press – Cape verde. Twenty tons of corn and various bean seeds for the 2025/26 agricultural campaign, purchased on Fogo Island by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment delegation, are beginning to be sent to the other islands.
The information was revealed on Friday by the delegate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAA), Estevão Fonseca, as part of the forum on “50 years of independence: the future of agriculture in Cape Verde”, promoted on Friday by the Ka Djidja Association as part of the 4th edition of the Monte Grande Cheese Festival.
The acquisition of seeds for the 2025/26 agricultural campaign represents an investment of around 5,000 contos and demonstrates that the island has great productive potential, said the delegate, who emphasized that this quantity was only achieved because there are still men and women who, despite the context of climate change, continue to invest in agriculture.
Fogo stands out once again for its ability to supply quality seeds to the entire archipelago, thanks to the preservation of ecotypes well-adapted to the different climates of Cape Verde, said Estevão Fonseca.
Corn and bean seeds were purchased on the local market at prices between 150 and 350 escudos per liter, respectively, which represents a “significant boost” to the local economy.
According to Estevão Fonseca, the MAA, through its national strategy, will subsidize more than 50% of the total cost of seeds to farmers, considering expenses for germination tests, acquisition, packaging, transportation, logistics, and distribution.
“Today they are heading to Brava, then to Santiago, and will gradually be available in all municipalities,” assured the delegate from the Ministry of Agriculture, who added that distribution will be done in partnership with commercial companies and that a protocol has been signed with Unicoop-Fogo for Fogo Island, and on the other islands through commercial companies.
At Fogo level, the delegate said that the distribution is taking place at an opportune time, since only in some areas has sowing already begun after the first rains, but in the main part of the island farmers have not yet started sowing.
Although weather forecasts point to “intermediate to deficient” rainfall, the delegate noted that the agricultural year is still in its early stages and it is too early to assess, with much work still to be done. He urged farmers to sow seeds responsibly.
In addition to seed distribution, this year’s agricultural harvest will benefit from technical reinforcement and an integrated phytosanitary control strategy. The Ministry, in collaboration with meteorological and agricultural surveillance services, promises to alert producers about potential pests and provide support for preventative control.
In livestock farming, the delegate called for responsible management of herds, as it is a time for confinement and evaluation of animals that may be discarded for sale or slaughter as a means of rationing, and preventive deworming actions to ensure the health of the herd.
Despite the structural and climatic challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture reinforces its confidence in the 2025/26 harvest and with more qualified technicians and strategies in place, the delegate believes it will be a positive harvest within the current context.
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