Brasilia, Brazil, 30 Jan – A Brazilian multi-sector mission is currently researching projects to be discussed at the next meeting of the Mixed Bilateral Commission to be held in March in Luanda, said the director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency.

Marco Farani said that Brazilians and Angolans would discuss a project that would provide new guidelines for research in the agri-livestock sector in Angola.

The project to restructure the Angolan Institute of Agronomy Research was drawn up by the Brazilian Agri-livestock Research Company (Embrapa) and the new body is due to be fully operational in the first half of the year.

Embrapa researcher António Prado, who will travel to Angola as part of the mission, said four research centres were already close to operating under the new guidelines of the institution.

The products and the location of these research stations have already been established: maize and beans in Chiango (Huambo), cassava, sweet potato and peanuts in Malange, goats and sheep at the Lay zoo-technical station and milk cattle in the Kwanza region.

The project, which is due to last until 2013, has Angolan government investment of US$7.3 million (5.5 million euros), to be applied to creating 14 research centres.

The programme also has the support of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). (macauhub)