The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country with immense agricultural potential. With nearly 80 million hectares of arable land, of which only 1% is cultivated, the country aspires to further develop its soil to the detriment of its subsoil.
It is with this in mind that the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture of the DRC, in collaboration with the IFC, the AfDB and One Africa Forum, decided to organize the “DRC Agribusiness Forum”. This event, which will be held in Kinshasa from October 4 to 5, 2023, aims to highlight the country’s agricultural potential and promote investments in the sector.
The forum will bring together more than 500 professionals, government officials, financing agencies and investors from the agricultural sector. This is a unique opportunity to discuss sector opportunities and challenges, share best practices and forge strategic partnerships.
Currently, the agricultural sector represents around 20% of the DRC’s GDP and employs almost 70% of its population. However, despite its importance, the agricultural sector has been neglected in favor of mining, particularly copper, in years past.
The DRC made a commitment in 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique, to allocate at least 10% of its annual national budget to the agricultural sector. However, to date the country has only been able to achieve around 3% of this target.
However, it is encouraging that from 2012 onwards there has been a slight increase in agricultural production in various crops such as cassava, maize, rice, beans and peas.
The DRC’s agro-industrial production also includes products such as coffee, cocoa, tea, tobacco, oilseeds, cinchona and sugar cane. These figures demonstrate the country’s agricultural potential and underline the importance of paying particular attention to it for its economic and social development.
The “DRC Agribusiness Forum” will therefore be a valuable opportunity to highlight this potential and encourage strategic investments in the agricultural sector. It is essential that the country capitalizes on its agricultural resources to ensure sustainable growth and create jobs for its population.
The soil of the DRC has a revenge to take on its subsoil, and it is time to give it the place it deserves in the development of the country. The upcoming event provides an ideal platform to discuss, plan and act towards a sustainable transformation of Congolese agriculture.
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Sources:
– [Article 1 link](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/repression-de-la-liberte-de-la-presse-en-rdc-le-journaliste-stanis-bujakera-maintenu -in-detention-despite-the-absence-of-evidence/)
– [Link article 2](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/lintegration-regionale-en-afrique-de-lest-la-levee-des-visas-pour-les-citoyens-congolais -by-kenya-and-tanzania-marks-a-decisive-step/)
– [Link article 3](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/la-demande-de-retrait-accelere-des-casques-bleus-en-rdc-une-decision-delicate-pour -lonu-safety-council/)
– [Link article 4](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/lutte-contre-les-plombs-a-kinshasa-la-solution-vitale-des-travaux-de-curage-des -rivers/)
– [Link article 5](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/construire-une-paix-durable-repenser-la-democratie-et-donner-une-voix-aux-peuples/)
– [Link article 6](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/les-enfants-des-pretres-catholiques-en-rdc-un-defi-brulant-a-relever/)
– [Link article 7](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/agence-terroriste-au-mali-nouvelle-attack-meurtriere-du-csp-a-dioura-soulignant-la-fragilite -of-the-security-situation/)
– [Link article 8](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/felix-tshisekedi-devoile-ses-equipes-de-campagne-pour-lelection-presidentielle-de-decembre-une-etape (key-to-mobilizing-voters-across-the-country/)
– [Link article 9](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/gendarmes-ivoiriens-arretes-au-burkina-faso-les-discussions-en-cours-pour-resoudre-lincident-et -strengthen-cooperation/)
– [Link article 10](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/09/29/franck-diongo-candidat-a-la-presidence-de-la-rdc-un-spér-de-changement-pour -the country/)