The farm decided to increase the cultivation spaces, install drip irrigation systems and greenhouses that can regulate the ambient and soil temperatures. The bet allowed the farm to use 30 hectares, of the more than 450 it has, to cultivate strawberries using natural techniques.
This reinforcement aims to meet the demand registered in the main markets of the country, explained to Jornal de Angola, the administrator of the farm, Yudo Borges.
According to the manager, the farm currently has about 600 thousand strawberries in the soil. However, it is preparing a new space to place another 150 thousand imported strawberries from South Africa.
Harvests can reach 75 tons per year, he said, adding that this bet was surprising. "Today it is possible to harvest around nine tons per week," he revealed.
With the appearance of domestic and foreign clients, the Luanda market has been the one that most absorbs this fruit. Given the high demand, the responsible stressed that the farm is already thinking about exports: mechanisms are already being studied to move forward with the export of this fruit to Europe, namely Portugal and Spain, among other countries.
The farmer considered that the fact that Jamba is at 2000 meters of altitude, that it has low temperatures during the day and that the climate is dry helps in the cultivation of strawberries. "We are also advantageous for the fact that in the fruit growing area in reference, there is a natural spring that although it facilitates the watering of the plants, stabilizes the fertility of the soils and maintains the ideal pH for the production of a large and sweet fruit", he stressed.
In the market for more than 12 years, Yudo Borges emphasized that the quality of the farm fruit has always been good: "The performance of our fruit is already equivalent to that produced in South Africa and in some European countries, hence the preference and increase of customers.
Yudo Borges pointed out that for now it will not be possible to increase production anymore, since there is no industry capable of transforming the fruit into jams, juices, among others.
However, if the farm continues to bet on the farm it will be possible "strawberries for several months a year, in order to be marketed at different times, which does not happen with certain countries, thus being a promising way to foresee already the export".
Explaining that Namibia does not produce strawberries, acquiring them from South Africa, the increase in cultivation and harvests throughout the year may open doors to Angola to compete in this market.
Fazenda Jamba also stands out in the production of vegetables (cabbage, carrots, beans), sour milk, grapes, apples, among others.
