T-Mariz Farm to launch wheat, rice production in Angola

ANGOLA – The T-Mariz Farm, a private initiative owned by Teresa Vieira Mariz, is set to expand its agricultural portfolio by producing wheat flour and rice during the 2024/25 agricultural season.

The farm, located in Luando, Moxico Province, Angola, is currently preparing 20 hectares for the experimental phase of wheat and rice cultivation.

Teresa Vieira Mariz, popularly known as the “Queen of Cassava” for her commitment to agricultural production, has already achieved impressive harvests of over 500 tons of cassava and 50 tons of maize annually.

For the upcoming season, the farm plans to plant 150 hectares of cassava, 70 hectares of maize, and 20 hectares of sweet potatoes.

Mariz expressed her ambitions to increase production levels through acquiring more equipment and resources.

Her remarks came during a field visit by the Secretary General of the Angolan Women’s Organization (OMA), Joana Tomás, who pledged to advocate for better access to credit for women in agriculture to boost food production.

This development comes at a time when the Angolan government is actively promoting local production of grains through its National Plan to Promote Grain Production (Planagrão).

The plan aims to bolster domestic production of rice, wheat, soybeans, maize, and beans to a combined total of 3.14 million tons over the next five years.

This initiative is particularly crucial given the rising international prices of grains like rice, driven by recent export restrictions from major producers like India.

Earlier this year, João Cunha, the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock announced that Angola has committed to support rice production in the country in a bid to reduce imports and cut financial burden.

João Cunha stated that the Government is doing everything so that the country can increase the production of rice for consumption, aiming to reduce imports.

“Rice is today one of the extremely important foods, which weighs heavily in our basic food basket to feed the population”, he said

Currently, rice production in Angola is still in deficit, a situation that leads the country to spend large financial resources on importing large quantities to guarantee domestic consumption.

The government’s strategy includes providing financial support and technical assistance to farmers, as well as establishing minimum prices for key crops to protect local producers and reduce reliance on imports.

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