Angolan Farmers: How Many Are There?

Angola is a country with a rich agricultural history and a potentially bright future in the industry. With its diverse and fertile ecology, Angola is suited to a variety of crops and livestock. However, the country currently only cultivates about 10% of its arable land, and its agricultural output is largely dependent on smallholder farmers. So, how many farmers are there in Angola, and what are the prospects for the country's agricultural sector?

Angola's agricultural output is dominated by smallholder farmers

Angola's agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farmers, who make up about 80% of the country's farming population. Smallholder farmers are those who cultivate very small plots of land, often for subsistence, with low agricultural productivity. Despite the challenges of low productivity, smallholder farmers in Angola account for over 80% of the country's total agricultural output.

Angola has a long history of family-based farming, and before its independence from Portugal in 1975, the country was self-sufficient in all major food crops except wheat. However, the country's agricultural productivity suffered a significant blow due to the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) and the subsequent neglect of the farming sector. During the war, most small-scale farmers reverted to subsistence farming, and even after the war ended, the return to productive farming in rural areas has been slow and difficult.

One of the main challenges is the presence of landmines, which render large areas of land uncultivable. In addition, limited infrastructure in rural areas and a lack of incentives for people to return to farming have hindered the sector's growth. Despite these challenges, the agriculture sector in Angola is expanding due to the end of the civil war and increasing foreign investment.

To support smallholder farmers and drive economic diversification, the Angolan government has partnered with organisations like IFAD and the World Bank. These partnerships aim to increase institutional capacity, improve smallholder agricultural production, and enhance market linkages. Additionally, projects like the Bom Jesus-Calenga Smallholder Agricultural Development Project (BJCSADP) focus on providing support for subsistence farming, improving food security, and creating employment opportunities.

Angola's agricultural output is heavily influenced by its smallholder farmers, who play a crucial role in the country's food security and economic development.

Angola's arable land is underutilised

Angola has a significant amount of arable land, with over 5 million hectares available for agricultural use. However, the country's civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, disrupted the country's agricultural productivity and led to a decline in cultivated land. During the conflict, most small-scale farmers resorted to subsistence farming, and the rural economy suffered. Even after the war ended, the return to productivity in rural areas has been challenging and slow.

One major issue is the presence of landmines, rendering large areas of land impossible to cultivate. In addition, there is a lack of functioning infrastructure in these regions, and few incentives exist to motivate people to return to farming. As a result, only 2.9 million hectares of arable land were cultivated from 2003 to 2004.

Angola's agricultural sector is predominantly composed of smallholder farmers, who make up over 80% of the country's farmers. However, they cultivate very small plots of land, resulting in low agricultural productivity. The country's agricultural output is also hampered by limited access to markets and inadequate infrastructure. These factors, along with the effects of the civil war, have prevented Angola's farmers from returning to their former levels of productivity.

Despite these challenges, the Angolan government has recognised the importance of developing the non-oil economy and attracting foreign investment into the agricultural sector. With its abundant arable land and favourable climate, Angola has the potential to become a significant agricultural producer. Efforts to improve infrastructure and extend social services to rural areas are crucial to enhancing the productivity of smallholder farms.

Furthermore, secure land rights are essential to encourage farmers to invest in their land. The government's recent efforts to formalise land rights and improve the governance of natural resources are positive steps towards creating a more stable and attractive environment for agricultural investment and development.

Angola's poultry imports from the US

Angola is a significant importer of food and agricultural goods, making foreign purchases totalling more than $2.75 billion from over 60 countries in 2022. The country imports over half of its food, and the US is the third-largest supplier of food and agricultural products to Angola, after the EU and Brazil. Angola was the largest US poultry market in Africa and the sixth-largest globally in 2022, importing more than $232 million of American poultry and poultry products. Chicken meat is the most widely consumed and affordable protein in Angola. While Angola produces an estimated 42,000 tons of chicken meat per year, this only accounts for 13% of the total market demand of approximately 312,000 tons annually. This makes Angola a strong market opportunity for US poultry, especially frozen chicken leg quarters.

In 2021, Angola was the world's seventh-largest importer of US chicken meat by value ($125 million). Angola's chicken meat imports increased by 57% in 2021, and further growth was expected in 2022. However, the country still faces challenges to the expansion of its domestic industry, including a lack of animal feed production, veterinary medicine, chicken feedlots, and general infrastructure, as well as the prohibition of genetically engineered (GE) feed products.

In 2017, the Angolan government made more foreign exchange (forex) injections available to combat high inflation and reduced food availability due to a lack of forex since mid-2015. The government allocated more forex resources to the food, oil, and medicine sectors, which resulted in Angola becoming the fourth-largest importer of US poultry and the third-largest market for US frozen chicken leg quarters.

Angola's agricultural exports to the US

Angola is a significant importer of food and agricultural goods, making foreign purchases totalling more than $2.75 billion from over 60 countries in 2022. The country imports over half of its food, with consumer-oriented products accounting for more than 99% of the US's $237 million in agricultural exports to Angola in the same year. Angola was the largest US poultry market in Africa and the sixth-largest globally in 2022, importing over $232 million of American poultry and poultry products. Chicken is the most widely consumed and affordable protein in the country. Angola produces an estimated 42,000 tons of chicken meat per year, but this only accounts for 13% of the total market demand of approximately 312,000 tons annually. This makes Angola a strong market opportunity for US poultry, especially frozen chicken leg quarters.

Other major US agricultural exports to Angola include dry beans, beef livers, turkey, pork, wine, and food preparations. In 2022, the largest import categories from all sources were palm oil ($219 million), poultry meat and edible offal ($201 million), rice ($186 million), wheat ($172 million), wheat flour ($63 million), soybean oil ($58 million), sausages ($48 million), and sugar ($46 million).

Angola has the natural resources to become one of the leading agricultural countries in Africa, with diverse and fertile ecology suited for a variety of crops and livestock. However, the country currently only cultivates about 10% of its 35 million hectares of arable land. An estimated 90% of farms in Angola are small to medium-sized and are used mainly for communal and subsistence farming. The agricultural commodities produced include cassava, bananas, potatoes, maize, sweet potatoes, citrus, and pineapples.

The sale of US poultry products to Angola increased significantly in 2018 due to an increase in the availability of foreign exchange. Food imports are a high priority for the Angolan government and have received priority in foreign exchange allocations by the Central Bank.

Angola's agricultural imports from other countries

Angola has a population of nearly 36 million people, and a large proportion of high-income consumers who seek quality imported products. In 2022, Angola imported over $2.75 billion worth of food and agricultural goods from more than 60 countries. The country imports over half of its food, with consumer-oriented products accounting for 99% of the United States' $237 million in agricultural exports to Angola in 2022. The US was the third-largest supplier of food and agricultural products to Angola in 2022, after the EU and Brazil.

In 2019, the top partner countries from which Angola imported food products included Brazil, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa, and India. Angola's top imports are refined petroleum, wheat, cars, poultry meat, and palm oil, which are imported mostly from China, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and India.

Angola has a potentially rich agricultural sector, with fertile soils, a favourable climate, and about 57.4 million hectares of agricultural land, including more than 5 million hectares of arable land. However, the country has faced challenges in recent decades due to the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), poor global market prices, and a lack of investment, which have impacted its agricultural productivity and infrastructure in rural areas.

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