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Prime Minister’s trade envoy visits Malange in rural Angola

David Heath CBE MP visited Malange yesterday to support economic diversification in Angola’s rural agriculture sector.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The visit demonstrated the UK’s support for economic diversification in Angola and in particular in the Agriculture sector. David Heath met with representatives from the Organisation for the Management of Arable Land (GESTERRA ) and toured Pedras Negras Commune.

David Heath said:

When I met with the Minister of Agriculture in Luanda he spoke of Angola’s tremendous potential. Today I saw that potential for myself. The operations I visited in Malange are exciting. But I know they are just the beginning for farming in Angola.

The UK has enormous expertise in the areas Angola is keenest to develop : in improving yields (rendimento) and thereby boosting incomes and employment, in processing that adds real value and in storage and distribution.

UK investors are going to be excited by what I have seen here. We will work with them, and the Ministry here, to develop specific projects

The visit to Angola was David’s third in nine months. On this visit he met with, amongst others, both the Minister of Agriculture and the National Institute of Cereals. This combined with the trip to Malanje has now given David a much better overview of the Agriculture sector here. David is a former Minister of Agriculture in the UK and is an expert in the sector.

Areas of potential collaboration include:

  • various levels of training
  • crop cultivation, irrigation and fertilization
  • storage and distribution
Published 26 February 2015