Challenges

While the Democratic Republic of the Congo has immense agricultural potential, its population of 90 million faces one of the most serious food and nutrition crises in the world. This is due to increased intercommunal conflicts, which in turn have triggered massive population displacement, infrastructure destruction, high food prices, loss of livelihoods, undiversified diets, pest infestations and health epidemics such as Ebola, cholera and measles. As over 75 percent of rural families rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, ensuring access to inputs and new technologies is essential for enhancing agricultural production and food security.

Toward a Solution

The objective of this Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-China South-South Cooperation project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is to contribute to the implementation of the National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) over a period of two years. The project gives direct support to the priority area of promoting the agricultural sectors and developing agri-business in order to ensure sustainable food security for the populations and improve the income of farmers and other operators in the sector. More specific objectives of the project include:

• strengthening national capacities in the areas of: development of rice cultivation, including production and multiplication of seeds; development of the cultivation of soybeans, corn, vegetable crops; development of fish farming and short cycle farming;
• selecting and disseminating different varieties of rice, soybeans and other legumes and vegetable crops, and introducing suitable techniques and technologies for fish farming, rice and corn cultivation.

FAO was responsible for the project’s overall management, facilitating the coordination among all partners, providing procedure guidance, etc. The Chinese Government funded the project through the FAO-China South-South cooperation Programme, while Chinese experts and cooperants conducted field training and demonstration sessions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and provided hand-in-hand guidance to local technicians and farmers. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo assigned counterparts to directly work with the Chinese experts and cooperants and provided in-kind contributions to the project implementation.

This project has provided technical assistance for enhancing the agricultural production, productivity and profitability of nearly 2,260 households. Over a two-year period, thirteen Chinese experts and technicians were deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide technical assistance to local farmers on crop production, plant protection, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture development, as well as on the use of agricultural machinery.

The project has helped households meet their cereal and vegetable consumption needs, increase their net income and acquire new agricultural technologies. It has also enhanced the efficiency of national extension services through cross-country exchange of expertise.

The deployment of experts to local communities and the active involvement of beneficiaries brought tangible results in a number of areas:

• Crop production: Chinese experts introduced practical technologies and carried out demonstrations on various crop production techniques, including rice, soybean, millet, maize and vegetables. Local farmers also learned how to detect and prevent pests such as fall armyworms and aphids. As a result, rice yield saw increases of 133 to 466 percent. The increase in millet yield has also been substantial, with an average of 6.3 tons per hectare.
• Horticulture: Chinese technicians provided assistance to local farmers on soil loosening, land preparation, seedbed construction and seeding techniques. This resulted in a significant increase in the harvest of cabbage, tomatoes, peppers and onions.
• Livestock production: Local farmers adopted Chinese livestock breeding techniques and received technical training on raising and management systems for broilers, goats, pigs and rabbits. In addition, the Veterinary Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of Haut Katanga was provided with veterinary medicine products for distribution to poultry farms.
• Aquaculture: During the project, hand-operated fish pellet feed machinery was introduced. Aquatic experts weaved five cages of 24 cubic meters and 30 kilograms of fish fry were put into the cage for demonstration.
• Other technologies: Smallholder farmers also received training on post-harvest processing. By transforming maize into fodder and soybean into milk, families were able to introduce new products to the market, thereby improving their monthly income. Furthermore, labour-saving production tools and equipment tailored to local conditions were introduced to local farmers.

This project effectively transferred agricultural knowledge and technologies at the local level and will further enhance food security at local and national levels, including through agricultural intensification and diversification, throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Achieving impact at scale will require a renewal of relevant partnerships and increased investments in local agriculture. Given adequate resources, the technologies and varieties introduced through the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme could be utilized on a larger scale, reaching more beneficiaries throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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