Meeting of the Board of Directors of ONAPAC: Challenges to be met for the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo
On October 3, 2023, the second session of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo (ONAPAC) was held at the Memling Hotel in Kinshasa. This meeting, chaired by Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi, PCA of ONAPAC, brought together the Director General, the Administrators and the Secretary General of the Board of Directors, as well as the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture.
During this session, Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi highlighted the challenges facing ONAPAC. He notably specified that ONAPAC focuses on around twenty agricultural products intended for export such as coffee, cocoa, rubber, cinchona, papaya, vanilla and medicinal plants. He wanted to clarify that ONAPAC does not deal with all agricultural products, contrary to what public opinion might think. ONAPAC’s mission is to supervise planters, processing, storage and all transits, that is to say the entire production chain up to export. It also plays a vital role in analyzing the quality of products to determine their prices in the international market.
However, ONAPAC is experiencing significant financial difficulties. Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi explained that out of an annual budget of 15 million dollars, ONAPAC only manages to mobilize a fifth of this sum, or only 3 million dollars. This situation affects the proper functioning of the company, in particular the payment of salaries of agents and executives who do not receive their full remuneration.
The PCA also alerted to the delaying tactics of certain members of the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), who question the advantages of ONAPAC, in particular the rate of service fees reserved for ONAPAC on agricultural products. . He expressed his fear that these maneuvers would spell the death of ONAPAC, which is already struggling to mobilize its funds. He called for the support of the Minister of Agriculture, José Mpanda, to counter this harmful project for ONAPAC.
This meeting of the ONAPAC Board of Directors highlights the challenges facing the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo. Despite financial difficulties, ONAPAC continues to work to supervise agricultural production and support Congolese producers in their exports. Let us hope that solutions will be found to ensure the sustainability of this essential institution for the country’s agricultural sector.