The reactivation ceremony was led by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Isaac dos Anjos, accompanied by the provincial governor, João Diogo Gaspar.
According to a statement from the Cuanza Norte government, to which VerAngola had access, with this action the province could become the "biggest reference for rice production in the country".
"The province of Cuanza Norte could soon become the largest reference for rice production in the country. This Sunday, April 13, 2025, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Isaac dos Anjos, and Governor João Diogo Gaspar kicked off the work to restore the infrastructure that will allow the cultivation and processing of rice in the municipality of Luinga", reads the note.
In the statement, the provincial government recalls that, in the past, this "region was a major rice producer", believing that "it is essential to take advantage of local potential to reactivate the production of this food that is widely consumed in the country and in the province in particular".
On the occasion, the governor of the province, João Diogo Gaspar, considered that "the food security of the province depends on large-scale production, especially products that make up the basic food basket, such as rice".
Isaac dos Anjos considered that the reactivation of this project will help to reduce imports, as well as combat hunger and poverty.
"For the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, the reactivation of the Luinga Irrigated Perimeter will not only contribute to reducing dependence on imported products, but will also help combat hunger and poverty, since investment in agriculture generates many job opportunities," says the statement.
Isaac dos Anjos said that peasant families will also participate in the project, receiving plots of irrigated land. Quoted by Angop, he added that the aforementioned families will receive training in the use of agricultural equipment, such as tractors, cultivators and ploughs, aiming to increase production.
In addition to the recovery of this perimeter, the minister also ensured the distribution of cattle as part of the initiatives to repopulate the Camabatela Plateau, adding that the government's aim is to make this region the largest agricultural and livestock production area in Angola, considering its climatic conditions and fertile soils.
According to a note from the municipal administration of Luinga, to which VerAngola had access, the irrigated perimeter is "a structuring project that marks the relaunch of large-scale rice production, given the region's agricultural potential and its historical vocation for the cultivation of this cereal".
"The initiative aims not only to revitalize local production capacity, but also to contribute to reducing dependence on imported products, reinforcing food security and boosting the community's economic development," the note says.
It is worth noting that the recovery of this project, covering more than 30 hectares, will involve specialized companies to rebuild damaged infrastructure, such as irrigation channels, among others.
Also this month, the same province also saw the Mucoso Irrigated Perimeter reactivated. At the time of the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture informed that the Luinga Irrigated Perimeter would also be reactivated soon.
