Praia, Sept. 1, 2026 (Lusa) - Cabo Verde's government acknowledged on Tuesday the possibility of launching support programmes for rural families affected by the lack of rain, which has led to the loss of some sown areas.
«We are currently distributing seeds for a new sowing, because we know that, traditionally, people start work on the agricultural year earlier. It usually starts in June, and several [crops] have already been lost,» said the minister for agriculture, Eveline Ramos.
The minister was speaking at the opening of a technical meeting on the National Agricultural Investment Plan, aimed at assessing work carried out over the last decade and discussing the sector's future through 2035.
Ramos said that government teams are assessing the agricultural situation and that the results will be communicated at a later date.
«We are waiting for rain. We are hopeful that things will change,» she said, acknowledging that, if necessary, a programme to mitigate the effects of climate change will be implemented, providing support for animal feed and vulnerable rural households.
The minister also highlighted the labour shortage, linked to young people leaving the country, as another challenge for agriculture, which could contribute to a reduction in cultivated land.
«This is a problem we must acknowledge; it is not limited to agriculture but affects all sectors. This labour shortage is currently a structural problem for the country, due to young people leaving,» she said.
She added that the government was counting on the population that remains in the country, but acknowledged that the exodus of young people «will have implications for the area under cultivation and there will certainly be a reduction».
In Cabo Verde, rainfall is concentrated between August and November, leaving long periods of drought for the rest of the year.
In July, the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG) forecast a late start to the rainy season in 2026, with rainfall ranging from below-average to normal and a possibility of dry spells during the season.
The institute also warned that above-average temperatures could exacerbate the water deficit, particularly in the most vulnerable agricultural areas.
In Santiago Norte, farmers warned in June of the uncertainty surrounding rainfall patterns and the risk of losses when seeds are sown after the first rains, and it fails to rain in the days that follow.
RS/ADB // ADB.
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