According to the minister, who did not advance the type of program, the ministry under his supervision is developing a vast plan for the culture of 'red berry' at national level, with Malanje, Cuanza Sul, Bié, Huambo and Huíla registering enormous advances in this dominance, especially with regard to Arabica coffee, writes Angop.
The minister – speaking, this Thursday, at the opening session of the first coffee conference in the province of Bengo – also indicated that the National Coffee Institute of Angola (INCA) is carrying out a range of changes aimed at improving the support for coffee producers.
Francisco de Assis also mentioned the exchange of experiences with some countries that produce this grain. In this regard, he said it is imperative to resize the farms so that the assets have development capacity, as well as sharing the areas with employees who should start to be seen as collaborators and partners.
In terms of Bengo, the minister considered that the model must be adapted to current times, as the cultivation of this grain at provincial level was previously based on the structure of the colonial era and added: "If we are not able to do this, our income, both from a cultural, social and economic point of view, will be compromised".
"Bengo is without a doubt one of the promising provinces in coffee production in our country, especially in Robusta coffee", also considered the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.
The holder of the Agriculture and Forestry portfolio also suggested the inclusion of young people in the coffee chain, having also asked coffee producers to conserve the plants that after half a century are still producing.
"We need to work on these specimens (plants), maintaining the same genetics, reclassifying them again to realize how valuable the treasure we have in our hands is in this domain", he stated, quoted by Angop.
It should be noted that INCA intends to establish collaborations with some universities in Angola, aiming to acquire more knowledge about coffee culture in the country. To this end, Vasco Gonçalves, general director of the institute, cited by Angop, informed that a memorandum of understanding has already been initialed between INCA and several higher education establishments, aimed at promoting coffee consumption, as well as matters linked to its production.
The conference, according to a statement from the provincial government of Bengo, aimed to publicize the "potential of Robusta coffee cultivation in the province, as well as creating a space for exchanging experiences between local coffee growers and those from other provinces".
The event was attended by coffee producers, members of cooperatives and experts in the field. "As guests, the ambassador of Serbia, Milos Perisic, the ambassador of Israel, Shimon Solomon, representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Cestino Panzo, the Government of Lebanon, Rayan Aidibi and the Angola-Argentina Chamber of Commerce were present", says the note.
The conference took place under the motto "Coffee Revitalization".
