Agriculture has never been easy. Team Africa, which includes Quang Linh as a member, faced challenges and difficulties when they embarked on agricultural endeavors in the unfamiliar land of Angola, especially with rice cultivation, which is not widely grown in the region. From planting to caring for the crops, it demanded a high level of technical expertise.
Cong Giap, a member of Team Africa, has been diligently guiding the locals in Lubango on farming techniques, teaching them how to produce precious grains of rice. To lend their support, the County Secretary personally visited Cong Giap’s farm.
Team Africa showed the leader the area designated for rice cultivation. “I’m amazed at the transformation since my last visit; it used to be all grass,” the County Secretary remarked.
The locals were busy leveling the land, a crucial step in preparing for rice cultivation. They shared that rice farming is much more laborious and complex compared to their usual corn farming. Rice requires moist soil, ample irrigation, and fertilizer—resources that are challenging for these impoverished farmers to access.
Cong Giap hopes that the local government can provide additional support by offering fertile land with abundant water sources to expand their agricultural endeavors.
The County Secretary and the Village Chief were astonished when they saw the rice bag, as it was their first time witnessing the grains that are used to make rice. “If placed on the street, no one would realize its value because people here only know rice as a finished product, and no one can grow it,” the County Secretary shared.
Out of respect for the hard work of the locals, the leader carefully picked up every grain of rice that had fallen to the ground and returned it to the bag. On this occasion, the County Secretary also presented the farm with a water pump to facilitate the farming process for the locals.
Cong Giap further explained that rice in Angola is very expensive due to high import taxes. Therefore, being able to grow their own rice presents a significant opportunity to improve the lives of the African people.
Apart from Cong Giap, other members of Team Africa, such as Quang Linh, Linh Philip, and Dong Paulo, are also dedicated to assisting rice farmers and have achieved notable harvests.
Rice is the third most consumed staple in Angola, after corn and wheat. However, rice consumption has been increasing in recent years due to changes in dietary preferences. The rice consumed in Angola is primarily white rice, imported mainly from Thailand, India, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
In the first half of 2024, Angola imported a total of 674 tons of rice from Vietnam, amounting to over $616 million, reflecting a 16% decrease in volume but a more than 42% increase in value compared to the same period in 2023.
