Meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo in 2023
On October 3, 2023, the Maiko Room of the Memling Hotel hosted the second session of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo (ONAPAC). Chaired by Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ONAPAC, this meeting brought together the Director General, the Administrators, the Secretary General of the Board of Directors as well as the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture.
During his speech to the media, Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi returned to the context of this meeting and the missions of ONAPAC. He specified that ONAPAC focuses on around twenty agricultural products intended for export such as coffee, cocoa, rubber, cinchona, papaya, vanilla and medicinal plants. He stressed that ONAPAC plays an essential role in supervising producers, processing products, storage and management of the export chain.
However, Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi also shared the financial difficulties that ONAPAC is facing. While the annual costs have been estimated at more than $15 million, ONAPAC only manages to mobilize a fifth of this amount, or only $3 million. This situation hinders the smooth running of the company and impacts employee salaries.
The PCA also discussed tensions with certain members of the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC) who question the service costs reserved for ONAPAC. He called on the Minister of Agriculture to intervene to prevent any reduction in ONAPAC benefits, stressing that this would risk further compromising the already precarious financial situation of the organization.
In short, the ONAPAC Board of Directors meeting in 2023 highlighted the financial challenges facing the organization. Despite these difficulties, ONAPAC continues to play a key role in supporting farmers and managing agricultural products intended for export. It is therefore essential that measures are taken to financially support this vital organization for the agricultural development of Congo.