Huambo Province - Agriculture and Food Security

Agriculture and Food Security

Huambo is the richest agricultural province in Angola. In 1999 the Province produced almost 22% of total national cereal production: 115,000 t out of a total of 530,000 t. As a result of improved security, areas used for cultivation in the Province have increased during the past years to about 500 km2. This represents the largest increase in the country since the end of the war.

The principal cereal crop is maize with 1950 km2 under cultivation. Yields are low, only 40 t/km2, compared with yields of between 50 and 120 t/km2 in other provinces. The second cereal crop is millet/sorghum with approximately 160 km2 under production. Grain production has increased significantly in recent years. Total output rose to a peak of 159,000 t in the 1997/1998 season compared to only 17,000 t in 1993/1994. Climate and pest conditions forced production back to 115,000 t in 1998/1999 and to an estimated 88,000 t in 1999/2000. Other crops produced in the province include beans (450 km2) and manioc (415 km2), sweet potatoes (95 km2) and Irish potatoes (32 km2). Coffee (Arabica type) used to be a significant produce of Huambo thanks to the favourable altitude and weather conditions of the Province, and is currently being reintroduced as the main crop in many farms of the region.

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