Angola will become self-sufficient in wheat flour production by 2020, taking into account the forecast of the country’s three mills producing 208,000 tonnes per year, totaling 840,000 tonnes each.
At present, the country’s needs for wheat flour are estimated at around 520,000 tonnes and local production is around 420,000 tons per year – an annual deficit of 100 tonnes which are imported, according to Ministry of Industry data provided by spokesman for the Angolan flour milling industries, César Rasgado.
The “Grandes Moagens de Angola (GMA) has an installed capacity to produce up to 280,000 tonnes of wheat flour per year, Kikolo 140,000, with a possible expansion process to double to 280,000t, and the factory Grupo Leonor Carrinho is ready to supply the market since early December with 280,000t/year”, said César Rasgado, according to a press release from JLM Comunicação, to which Angop had access last Friday.
Regarding the delay in increasing the flour production capacity of the Kikolo mill from 140,000 to 280,000 tonnes a year, the spokesman explained that it is due to the impact of VAT on equipment imports.
Currently, the three national mills have installed capacity to produce 700,000 tonnes of wheat flour annually, contributing to the supply of the market, the reduction of imports, and the creation of direct and indirect jobs in Luanda and Benguela provinces.
Until 2017, before the inauguration of GMA and Kikolo, all flour consumed in Angola was imported. The three units are the result of a US$300 million private investment.
GMA created with its start-up provided 150 direct jobs, Kikolo 115 and Leonor Carrinho 100.
In addition to the production of wheat flour, Angolan mills also produce pellet meal, which is exported and, consequently, contributes to increased exports and foreign exchange revenues.
If wheat is produced in Angola, the activity of small and medium farmers will be boosted, employment increased, people settled in the provinces and foreign exchange savings strengthened.
Source: Angop
