The African Development Bank (AfDB) will finance local projects in the Angolan agricultural sector starting in 2019, said on Wednesday in the city of Huambo the head of the delegation of the multilateral banking institution in Angola.

Jean Marie, speaking at the end of a hearing granted by the provincial vice governor, Maricel Capama, also said that priority will be given to projects that include agricultural production, industrial processing and marketing.

He said the funding will cover the country’s 18 provinces, confirming that the feasibility studies carried out in recent years are being discussed with the provincial governments in order to find suitable strategies for the successful implementation of these projects.

David Tunga, director general of the Institute for Agrarian Development (IDA), said that the AfDB projects are part of a partnership established with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which is essential to enable the development of a value chain in the sector, within the context of the diversification of the national economy.

To that end, he said, three regions were selected, the first being the north of Angola (Uige, Zaire, Kwanza Norte, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Bengo), the second in the centre (Huambo, Bié, Moxico and Benguela) and the last in the south (Huíla, Namibe, Kwando Kubango and Cunene).

According to the director-general of the IDA, taking into account its location, projects have already started in Cabinda province independently with an estimated budget of US$101 million. (macauhub)