Over 500,000 UNACA Members Participate In Farming Campaign
Luanda 9/12/08 – At least 538,362 farmers countrywide, associated to the Confederation of Peasants Associations and Farming Cooperatives (UNACA) will take part in the 2008/2009 farming campaign, scheduled to start next October.
The organisation's deputy president, Albano da Silva Lussati, told ANGOP that the associates are organised in 6,192 associations of peasants, having also 214,088 co-operators, gathered in 1,684 cooperatives.
According to the official, the UNACA members, based in153, out of 164 districts of the country's 18 provinces, are constantly mobilized to redouble efforts in preparing the land, in diversification of farming, increase the production, in order to fight hunger and reduce poverty.
Albano Lussati also explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINDER) distributed considerable quantities of farming inputs to its associates, while the National Company of Farming Mechanisation (Mecanagro) assisted the peasant families
toward increasing their farming plots of lands, from 02 to five hectares.
The coming farming campaign may be satisfactory, judging by the increased support of the Government to the national agrarian sector, the participation of its partners, namely Adra, Clusa, World Vision, German Agrarian Action and the engagement of peasants and of
farmers, said the official.
He also referred to the increase of granting credit to peasant families by Saving and Credit Bank, Sol Bank, Angola’s Foment Bank and Novo Bank.