Luanda, Angola, 4 May – Angola’s food situation is satisfactory to judge by results of the 2008/2009 agricultural season, the director of the country’s food security office, David Tunga, said on Monday in Luanda.

“Despite excessive rain and dry spells in some regions of the country, generally speaking food production is satisfactory, according to the data in our possession,” Tunga told Angolan news agency Angop on the occasion of the 26th Regional Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for Africa, under way since Monday in Luanda.

Cereal production attained very significant levels and the market availability of food products is currently satisfactory, Tunga said.

Angola nevertheless continues to have a certain amount of food deficit, he continued, adding that the government is working on programmes to develop food production, especially for the family sector, and that there are also initiatives in the business sector.

Agriculture Minister Afonso Canga said in turn that the sector he oversees is the new booster of the economy, as it created more than 70,000 jobs in 2009, a number already overtaken this year, according to available statistical data. (macauhub)