BP Angola enhances support for Benguela agribusiness project

12 May 2017 – A delegation from BP Angola today visited the Greater Plutonio agribusiness project in Benguela province to reaffirm its commitment to the important economic development program for local stakeholders.

The third phase of the project, implemented by a local NGO ADRA, focuses on improving the productivity and commercialization capability of the cooperatives as well as enhancing its access to regional and national markets.

While meeting with the local farmers’ association, BP Angola’s deputy general manager, Helder Silva, handed-over a truck to assist them in the delivery of produce to distant markets.

“We are proud to be here today to witness the progress of this project and the significant impact it is making on the lives of the farmers and wider community,” said Helder Silva.

The farmers’ representative, Victorino Chico, thanked the Company on behalf of the farmers’ association. “We appreciate BP’s ongoing partnership and support. It is making a tremendous difference in how we operate, grow and sell our products country-wide.”

Since 2006, the project has helped to reduce poverty and assisted more than 8,000 farmers from 11 cooperatives (which include 114 farmers associations). It has allowed them to be better organised, gain access to credit and set-up community saving schemes.

• BP Angola´s social and community investment strategy is based on three pillars: education, enterprise development and institutional capability development.
• The project aims to strengthening and increase the number of farmers’ association and role of women, increase production, business development and management, access to microcredit, enhance access to local and international markets and bridge production and commercialization networks.
• BP supports social investment initiatives that strengthen the capabilities of Angola’s people and institutions by forming strategic partnerships that generate mutual benefit.

About BP Angola
BP has been in Angola since the 1970s, and in the 1990s acquired interests in four deep-water offshore blocks some 200 kilometres northwest of Luanda.

BP is one of the largest foreign investors in Angola, having invested more than $29 billion through the end of 2015, and will continue to invest in Angola well into the future.

BP is the operator of blocks 18, 24 and 31 and has non-operated interests in blocks 15, 17, 20 and 25 as well as in the Angola LNG plant in Soyo.

SOURCE: BP