Luanda, Angola, 10 Jan – Angola’s agriculture sector increased its production last year to 12 percent of gross domestic product from the 8 percent recorded in 2004, an official said Tuesday.

Boosted production in 2005 was mainly due to bigger crops of corn, said David Tunga, director-general of the food security department of the ministry of agriculture and rural development.

Corn production rose from 600,000 metric tons to 800,000 tons and output of cassava flour last year also showed significant expansion. The Luanda government expects that Angola will be self-sufficient in these two basic foodstuffs by 2006.

Nevertheless, Tunga warned that even though cereal production has risen in Angola, there was a food deficit of 625,000 tons in 2005. This was an improvement on the 819,000 tons shortfall recorded a year earlier, he added. (macauhub)