The OFEK Aldeia Nova project occupies an area of 8000 hectares and is an initiative of the Angolan government aimed at producing foodstuff and creating employment opportunities.

The project was initiated in 2003 in the Waco Kungo district, in the central Kwanza Sul Province. The project includes 600 family farms. The different farming activities undertaken by the individual families include broilers, layers, pullets, dairy cows, pigs and vegetables. The Angolan Government relied on the cooperation of Israeli participants for the successful management and training of the incumbents. SLB Holdings, based in Cyprus, operates their Agricultural segment in Angola under the name Agricultiva, which is responsible for the success of the agricultural project at Aldeia Nova. Aldeia Nova is self sufficient in their grain needs, and has their own feed mill, hatchery, dairy factory and abattoir. They boast an in-house marketing company, Wako Distibution, responsible for the marketing of all their produce.

SLB Holdings contacted SAPPO in 2004, in their search of world class pig genetics from South Africa to stock their planned pig project. They contacted most South African breeders and after thorough consideration decided on PIC as the provider of choice. The stocking of the project was then postponed because of the PRRS outbreak in the Western Cape, to resume the planning thereof in 2007.

The pig producing village at Aldeia Nova consists of 84 families of which 80 operate as pig farmers, and 4 as officials, acting as coordinators in the village. Each farming family has ten sows and a boar. Phase 1 of the stocking of the pig project comprised of stocking 48 of these farming units. Phase 2 will be completed within the next couple of weeks, when the remaining 32 units will be populated.

Initially, an exodus by road, via Namibia, was considered to deliver the breeding stock needed for Phase 1. The convoy would have included all the breeding animals and their feed on different trucks. All the red taping on the South African as well as the Botswana and Angolan sides were successfully negotiated, but the mission was terminated at the eleventh hour because of logistical problems to get the convoy through Namibia. The difficulties to acquire a transit permit through this neighbouring country proved to be not only complicated, but impossible.

With road transportation being ruled out, urgent air-transit arrangements had to be made. Soviet Air Charter came to the rescue and the cargo airfreight was arranged in the nick of time. A Russian Ilushin 76 Cargo plane was used for the transportation of the live cargo from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Huambo Airport.

To the mutual relief of supplier and buyer, the breeding animals were introduced to their new home after more than 24 hours in transit. The gilts were selected as weaner gilts, ranging from 8 to 12 weeks of age, in order to accommodate the largest possible number of animals per load and to ensure better adaptation to their new environment.

Agricultiva now operates in close collaboration with PIC South Africa, who provides them with the necessary know-how on how to develop their gilts into successful breeding females as well as all other aspects of pig production.

In order to keep up with their replacement stock, an in-house AI Station with both damline and terminal sires at Aldeia Nova is planned, to provide them with all their semen needs.

This successful execution of a well organised initiative in Angola was a pioneer voyage for PIC into this country. PIC South Africa will build on this successful endeavour in their quest to provide increasing numbers of quality breeding stock into developing Africa.

For further details please contact Alteli de Villiers at PIC South Africa on: +27 82 805 6803 and by email: [email protected] or Jurgens Reynders on: +27 82 809 4024 and by email: [email protected]