Angolan delegation visits irrigation projects in the hinterlands of Brazil

The hinterlands of Pernambuco and Bahia received, between November 23rd and 26th, representatives of the Government of Angola with the objective of learning about good practices in water management in arid regions and irrigated zones. For this purpose, the Angolan specialists visited the "Senator Nilo Coelho Public Irrigation Project", in the State of Pernambuco, and the "Manicoba and Mandacaru Public Irrigation Projects", in the State of Bahia.

The delegation from that African country was in Brazil to explore the possibility of developing a technical cooperation project on the subject, considered a priority by Angola, which is undergoing a serious drought crisis in its southern region.

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Angola, António Francisco de Assis, emphasized the timeliness of the visit, considering that planning the use of water resources is an urgent need in his country and Brazil has experience in the matter. The delegation's visit to the northeastern projects had the support of the Development Company of the São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys (CODEVASF). The Angolan representatives were also in Brasilia, where they attended a seminar on family farming at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). The meetings were attended by a technical team from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), responsible for coordinating the Brazilian international technical cooperation.

The Vice-Governor of Cunene Province, Faustino Cortez, said that the biggest concern in his country is with the smallholder farmer, their self-sufficiency and the increase of their income. "We are in the phase of building an infrastructure with water supply and open canals, and we want to benefit from the experience that Brazil already has in this field in order to implement what we consider to be positive", he emphasized.