The national deputy Jean-Jacques Mpanga wa Lukalaba is worried about the shortage of maize which is rife in the Katanga and Kasaï areas. In an oral question addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, he asks what measures are taken upstream to avoid this situation and what is the level of execution. This maize shortage is due to the low national production, according to the conclusion of the 95th meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Jean-Jacques Mpanga wa Lukalaba also calls on the minister to provide statistics for the last three years describing the needs for consumption and production of maize in the Katanga and Kasaï areas. The MP wants to know what is the level of implementation of the measures recommended in the Government’s Action Program 2021-2023, aimed at encouraging and supporting civil servants and public authorities to acquire agricultural land and carry out agro-pastoral activities, as well as the implementation of the policy “to each a roof, a field in his village for each crop”.
While the Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 80 million hectares of arable land capable of feeding 2 billion people in the world, according to the 2016 FAO report, Jean-Jacques Mpanga wa Lukalaba questions the fact that priority be given to the conclusion of maize import agreements with Zambia and South Africa. For the MP, agriculture is the cornerstone of a country’s development and food security is one of the rights guaranteed to Congolese people by the Constitution.
Seeking a solution to the maize shortage, the DRC has entered into supply agreements with Zambia and South Africa. However, according to Jean-Jacques Mpanga wa Lukalaba, this path is likely to be short-lived because exporting countries can take restrictive measures in order to guarantee the food security of their populations. The MP proposes to find lasting solutions to avoid the programmed death of the populations concerned, who resort to the food shedding system.
This question from the national deputy relates to a broader issue of food insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the face of significant and untapped agricultural potential. The authorities must therefore reflect on the measures to be taken to improve the situation and guarantee the food security of the population.