Congo, Democratic Republic - Agricultural Sector Congo (DR) - Agricultural Sector
Overview
With 80 million hectares of extensive arable land, 4 million hectares of irrigated land, and many rivers with important fishery resources, the DRC has the bulk of the major assets needed to become a global agricultural power. Today, although the agricultural sector contributes 18 percent of GDP and accounts for over 60 percent of new jobs, it still fails to ensure food independence and to generate sufficient revenues and sustainable employment. The main cash crops include coffee, palm oil, rubber, cotton, sugar, tea and cocoa. Food crops also include cassava, plantains, maize, groundnuts and rice. However, commercial agricultural production remains limited, with many producers engaged in subsistence food agriculture. To cope with food shortage, the implementation of agro-industrial parks is underway in different areas of the DRC.Leading Sub-Sectors
- Crop planting
- Cultivation
- Fishery, land and wildlife conservation
- Fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides
- Farm equipment leasing and financing
- Agricultural industrial park
Opportunities
In order to develop the agricultural sector the GDRC launched a program with the following objectives:
- Strengthen its contribution to economic growth;
- Restore the country's food security;
- Reduce poverty and insecurity in rural areas;
- Increase the production of food and durable goods.
To achieve these objectives, the program must meet the agricultural and rural strategies and policies that affect awareness, production, collection, storage, processing and marketing.
Added to that the GDRC intends to build new and expand existing agro-industrial projects in other provinces. These projects will require participation of foreign agricultural firms with a tolerance for risk, experience operating in complex or fragile environments, and with access to capital to finance their participation.