More than 200 tons of bananas produced in the Caxito irrigated perimeter will be exported to Portugal following an initial shipment of 27 tons, the head of Caxito Rega announced, cited by the newspaper Jornal de Angola.

João Mpilamosi said that bananas produced at that plantation “have quality and are accepted in foreign markets, mainly in countries neighbouring Angola”.

Caxito Rega is the managing company of the Caxito irrigated perimeter, which has an area of 4,628 hectares. Its activity focuses on the production of bananas and other fruits and vegetables.

Early this February the Angolan group Novo Agrolíder began exporting bananas to Portugal, including production from Bengo province. The first shipment amounted to 20 tons and a weekly pace is envisaged in the future.

Managing director João Macedo said that Portugal had become the second country to receive table bananas produced by the group’s operation, after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“This is a test and if it goes well we can send up to ten containers [each holding 20 tons] per week, for we aim to export large amounts of bananas,” Macedo said.

Nova Agrolíder is thus the second Angolan company to announce banana exports to Portugal. The Bacilin agro-industrial plantation in Culango, Bengula province, exported 17 tons in May, the first shipment of that fruit from Angola to Europe in more than 40 years.

Source: Macauhub