The information was advanced by João Cunha, Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock, who considered the equipment - inserted in the Regional Leadership Center (CRL) - as being extremely important to help the country develop the production of this food.
"We are going to build from scratch a center for research on the cultivation of manioc, a product of crucial importance to guarantee food security and fight hunger and poverty in the country", he said, quoted by Angop.
Another aspect of the project also involves the training of Angolan researchers.
In general, the project that aims to place Angola in the southern leadership of cassava production is budgeted at more than US$100 million, with funding from the World Bank.
The amount will allow for a varied set of projects, which will also include increasing productivity in crops such as maize, beans, rice and soy.
João Cunha, also an agronomist, added that the program began to be implemented about two years ago, having suffered delays due to the covid-19 pandemic. The objective is now to "make up for lost time", in order to align the country with others in the southern region that have already completed the first phase of its implementation, such as Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi.
When the implementation process is completed, Angola will have six research units: Mazozo Center (Luanda), Nsoso (Uige), São Vicente (Cabinda) Cela (Cuanza Sul), Chianga (Huambo) and Namibe. Two experimental agricultural fields will also be available in Tomboko (Zaire) and Ceilunga (Bié).
