In Angola's southern province of Cunene you can measure the wealth of a woman by the number of bracelets on her arms. Each bracelet refers to a cow and in Cunene, cattle and their products are central to economic and social status. Milk is the basis for everything, even women's beauty products.
Although cattle are plentiful in some of Angola's provinces, the only people who drink regular supplies of fresh milk are those living in areas safe enough to keep dairy herds, such as Namibe, Benguela and Cunene. The war has affected Angola's livestock as much as its people. Rebels and government troops alike have depleted stocks by slaughtering cattle for food.
The absence of cattle herds around Luanda means that the only dairy company of any significance in Angola, Lactiangol, has to use imported milk powder for its products. "As there is no large scale milk production here, we have no choice but to import dried milk powder," says company president Antonio Joaquim Russo.
Despite these limitations, Lactiangol, which was founded in 1975, produces a wide range of dairy products including milk, yogurt and ice cream. It also produces a variety of juices. Still, the company is operating at a fraction of its capacity. "During the 1970s, Angola was a major dairy producer. Today, Lactiangol could be producing two million liters of fresh milk a day, but we produce none. This is because we lack the security, investment and technology to keep large herds of dairy cattle," says Antonio Russo.
However, in May 2001, Lactiangol signed a major contract with the government to supply its products to schoolchildren in Luanda. As a result, the company will raise its production levels to 50 percent capacity, instead of its current 30 percent.
Lactiangol is also banking on the fact that greater demand for its products will come as people's nutritional habits change. In Angola, the most common morning beverages are coffee and tea, even for children; the company is actively trying to encourage the consumption of milk.
Yet the potential market remains small. "We have identified around 100,000 consumers of dairy products in Luanda, but we do not see this market growing. As 70 percent of the capital's population live on less than $1 per day, they cannot afford our products until salaries rise," points out Antonio Russo.
