LUANDA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Angola's agricultural production in 2022 increased to around 24.8 million tons, marking a 5.6 percent hike from 2021, according to data released by Angola's Ministry of Agriculture and Forests on Monday.
Root and tuber crops dominated production, reaching nearly 13 million tons, comprising over 52 percent of the total output. Fruits followed with approximately 6 million tons, trailed by cereals at around 3.2 million tons. Horticultural crops accounted for about 2 million tons, while leguminous and oilseed crops contributed roughly 622,000 tons.
Cereals covered 53 percent of the country's total sown area of 5.97 million hectares, with maize contributing 97 percent to this category's production, yielding 1,185 kg per hectare. Root and tuber crops occupied about 22 percent of the total sown area, with cassava being the primary crop in this category.
The Minister of Agriculture and Forests of Angola held a press conference in Luanda, Angola's capital, on Monday, announcing that the agricultural sector's contribution to Angola's gross domestic product rose to 6.29 percent in 2022, an increase of 0.09 percentage points from 2021.
The ministry said "If we do not achieve a minimum annual growth of 6 percent, attaining food security will be unfeasible," considering Angola's average population growth rate of 3.1 percent per year.
From 2018 to 2022, Angola spent a total of 11.94 trillion U.S. dollars on food imports.
The ministry said that family farming is the primary mode of operation in Angola's agriculture, representing 91.5 percent of the total sown area and 82.5 percent of the country's total production. On average, each family cultivates 2.17 hectares, primarily using manual methods without animal traction or machinery. Only a small proportion of family cultivators use fertilizers and pesticides.
