LUANDA, ANGOLA – With the opening of four wheat flour mills since 2017, Angola’s milling capacity has increased to approximately 1 million tonnes (wheat equivalent), according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The new mills include: Grandes Moagens de Angola, with 280,000 tonnes of annual capacity; The Carrinho Group, with 280,000 tonnes of capacity; Kikolo, with 140,000 tonnes of capacity; and AP Foods, with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes. The newest mill was built in 2020 by Induve, which can produce up to 255,000 tonnes per year.

Angola, which relies entirely on imported wheat, has increased its wheat flour consumption in recent years to about 650,000 tonnes (890,000 tonnes wheat equivalent).

“As milling capacity has increased, imports of wheat grain have replaced imports of wheat flour,” the report said.

The largest supplier is the European Union, which shipped 380,000 tonnes of wheat in 2020. Russia ranked second with 199,000 tonnes. Russia and Ukraine accounted for about 30% of Angola’s wheat imports in 2021, the report said.

The Association of Wheat Flour Producers of Angola said Russia’s ongoing military conflict with Ukraine and the ensuing surge in wheat prices could cause the consumer price of wheat flour in Angola to increase by 40% or more.

“The industry is working with the GRA to identify ways to mitigate this potential price increase,” the report said.