AGRICULTURE (42)
Agro-industrial company Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC) has announced the exit of the Congolese state from its shareholding, following a recapitalization process launched in 2025 to strengthen its operational capacity.
According to PHC, the company sought a capital increase from shareholders to support its modernization strategy. The Congolese state, a minority shareholder with a 23.8% stake, did not participate due to a lack of allocated budget from the Ministry of Portfolio.
PHC described the move as a “responsible and voluntary” decision, taken in compliance with OHADA law, the company’s bylaws and applicable governance rules.This move strengthens the position of Kuramo Capital, which has held a majority stake in PHC since 2020, previously at around 76.2%.
A shareholder since 2017, Kuramo Capital said it has supported PHC’s turnaround through investments aimed at modernizing operations and improving productivity. The investor said production has doubled over five years with only a limited increase in cultivated area, while the number of women employed has tripled.
PHC has operated in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1911 and operates three industrial sites at Boteka, Yaligimba and Lokutu. The company controls more than 100,000 hectares of concessions, including around 30,000 hectares of oil palm plantations, and employs more than 11,000 people.
Production has remained relatively stable in recent years. After producing around 80,000 metric tons of palm oil in 2023, PHC is targeting 81,000 metric tons in 2025, with a goal of reaching 100,000 metric tons by 2026.
The company also plans to develop its own palm oil refinery to expand local processing and better serve the domestic market.
Ronsard Luabeya
Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), controlled by Kuramo Capital Management with an approximately 76% stake since 2021, plans to build a palm oil refinery.
In an interview with Forbes Afrique magazine published in April 2026, Managing Director Monique Gieskes said the facility is expected to come online within the next two years, pointing to a completion date around 2028.
According to the executive, the project is part of a broader vertical integration strategy. PHC has mainly produced crude palm oil and palm kernel oil, which it sells to refiners in Kinshasa and Kongo Central. The company now plans to refine part of its output while continuing to supply its existing customers with crude oil. This move would allow PHC to capture more value in the domestic market. The planned refinery’s capacity has not been disclosed.
The integration strategy will require higher output. However, data shared by Gieskes indicates stagnation over the past two years. After reaching 80,000 tons in 2023, production is expected to reach 81,000 tons in 2025. PHC nonetheless maintains its target of 100,000 tons by 2026.
The company operates three industrial sites in Boteka (Equateur), Yaligimba (Mongala), and Lokutu (Tshopo). According to management, its concessions span around 106,000 hectares, including 30,000 hectares planted with oil palms. The remaining land offers room for expansion.
PHC also points to genetic research conducted at its CREATY center in Yaligimba. Gieskes referred to experimental seeds described as “albino”, with low beta-carotene content, which could produce a lighter oil directly upon extraction. Management presents this as a promising avenue, though it has not yet been independently validated in publicly available research.
These ambitions come against the backdrop of a structurally undersupplied Congolese market. According to estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), national palm oil production stands at around 300,000 tons per year, while demand exceeds 500,000 tons.
Timothée Manoke
The Democratic Republic of Congo is moving to better structure its cocoa exports, with an emphasis on certification standards. Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya said on April 20, 2026, after a meeting with cocoa and coffee exporters, that the country had secured U.S. support to train Congolese experts in certification.
He said the DRC “must no longer depend on external intermediaries that perpetuate the status quo and enable fraud,” without providing further details on the shift.
The move comes as compliance requirements tighten in international markets, particularly in the European Union. EU rules on deforestation-linked products now require exporters to demonstrate traceability and compliance with environmental standards.
Authorities say building local certification expertise is intended to secure access to export markets and strengthen the credibility of Congolese cocoa.
Structural challenges in the sector
This reorganization comes as the sector continues to face structural constraints, particularly in Ituri province.
Data released in October 2023 by the provincial director of the National Office for Agricultural Products of the Congo (ONAPAC) estimate coffee and cocoa production at 10,000 to 15,000 metric tons per season. Officially recorded volumes are far lower, at around 900 metric tons of coffee and nearly 1,000 metric tons of cocoa, according to the same sources cited by the Congolese Press Agency.
This gap is driven by several factors, including insecurity in some production areas, which disrupts farming activity, and limited local processing capacity. Part of Ituri’s cocoa is transported to North Kivu for processing before export.
Boaz Kabeya
The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has committed 2.3 million pounds ($3.1 million) to support the agribusiness sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a joint statement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on April 16, 2026.
The funding is part of a partnership to improve access to credit for agri-food businesses, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), farmers and agricultural value chain actors.
The four-year program aims to make agriculture a driver of inclusive growth. It will support local financial institutions, improve the regulatory environment and provide targeted assistance to high-potential businesses seeking financing.
The initiative will combine technical assistance and advisory services to help mobilize private investment in the sector. It is expected to benefit more than 300 women-owned SMEs and give at least 5,000 farmers and agri-food businesses access to financing and modern equipment.
A trust fund administered by the IFC
The program will operate through a trust fund administered by the IFC and will run until December 2029. It aims to attract private capital, improve living conditions and reduce the country’s reliance on food imports.
The initiative is part of the World Bank Group’s AgriConnect program. It will focus on climate-resilient agricultural financing, financial products tailored to women entrepreneurs, leasing solutions and business climate reforms, including in special economic zones.
Malick Fall, IFC country head, said the partnership should help strengthen agricultural value chains, create jobs and improve food security. Peter Fernandes Cardy, development director at the British Embassy in Kinshasa, said it would help ease investment constraints and support sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural growth.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of National Economy has announced $7.7 million in funding for an agricultural program in Sud-Ubangi province in northwestern DRC. According to a statement published on April 16, 2026, the project will be implemented in partnership with Centre de développement intégral Bwamanda (CDI-Bwamanda).
The ministry said the program aims to boost local production and improve food security by supporting farmers, strengthening corn and soybean supply chains, and upgrading rural roads. It will also reinforce the value chain from production to markets in Kinshasa, the country’s main market.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to curb the high cost of living, boost local economic activity and position agriculture as a key sector of the economy.
CDI-Bwamanda, the implementing partner, is a development NGO founded in the region in 1969. It follows a holistic approach combining agriculture, health, education, community development and technical support, with the aim of improving living standards and promoting economic independence.
The program comes alongside another ongoing agricultural initiative in the province. Since April 6, 2026, Sud-Ubangi has been part of the Integrated Program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (PIREDD), backed by a $25 million budget.
Funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) through the national REDD+ fund (FONAREDD) and implemented by Belgian agency Enabel from 2026 to 2030, the project focuses on balancing agricultural production with forest conservation. PIREDD includes support for sustainable farming practices, agroforestry development, and perennial crops such as coffee and cocoa.
Ronsard Luabeya
Long queues formed at gas stations across several districts of Kinshasa on March 23, 2026, as persistent rumors of an imminent fuel shortage prompted drivers to rush to distribution points and stock up as a precaution.
The surge in panic buying put pressure on stations, sharply increasing demand. According to accounts collected on the ground, some stations experienced temporary stockouts.
Congestion at fuel stations also spilled over into traffic. On the morning of Tuesday, March 24, large crowds at the BAT station on Avenue Poids-Lourds in Kingabwa, in the commune of Limete, worsened gridlock already typical at that hour.
Congolese authorities have nonetheless sought to reassure the public about near-term fuel availability following the outbreak of the security crisis in the Middle East. Hydrocarbons Minister Acacia Bandubola reiterated those assurances after visiting SEP Congo facilities on March 23. “I want to reassure the population that there is no fuel shortage in Kinshasa or elsewhere in the country. Stock coverage is assured, according to data provided by SEP Congo,” she said.
Series of measures
In a joint communiqué published on March 23, the ministries of National Economy and Hydrocarbons announced a series of measures aimed at securing supply. These include reducing certain costs related to the import and transport of petroleum products, as well as strengthening the advance payment mechanism for companies in the sector to support cash flow and ensure continuity of imports. The authorities also plan to speed up customs clearance procedures to improve product availability on the market.
The measures follow decisions taken at the 82nd Council of Ministers meeting on March 13, 2026, where the government stated that available stocks could meet the country’s needs through June. Several shipments of petroleum products are also expected in the coming weeks to bolster inventory levels.
According to a March 9 statement, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons had already begun preparations to build a strategic stockpile of at least 50,000 metric tons of fuel, including both ground and aviation fuels. The initiative aims to secure national supply amid disruptions to international energy markets linked to security tensions in the Middle East.
Ronsard Luabeya
DR Congo's Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock approved an agreement with poultry company Egg's For Congo in February 2026 for the management and operation of a major poultry project in Kinshasa. According to a notice published by the ARMP, the project is valued at $7 million and will run for 10 years under a régie intéressée contract, a form of public service management arrangement.
Public documents link the agreement to a public-private partnership (PPP) project listed in the 2026–2028 Public Investment Program, titled "PPP Project for the Establishment of Parent Farms and Industrial Hatcheries in Kinshasa." A PPP refers to a collaboration in which a government partners with a private company to finance, build or operate a public project or service.
In that document, the private partner is also Egg's For Congo, the planned duration is 10 years, and the cost was still estimated at $11 million as of July 17, 2025, with a favorable opinion issued subject to the incorporation of observations and recommendations.
Documents reviewed indicate that both references concern the same project. However, the public documents do not explain with certainty why the total cost dropped from $11 million to $7 million between July 2025 and February 2026.
The contract is structured as a régie intéressée, a modality provided for under Congolese public procurement law. Under this type of contract, the government retains ownership and overall responsibility for the service but entrusts its management to an operator, which receives a fixed fee along with a share linked to the service's operating results.
Egg's For Congo describes itself, on its website, as a company active in the poultry sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to information on that platform, the project was launched in 2014 by Jean-Pierre Mwipata, Didier Molisho and Hanno Kiezebrink, with the goal of promoting the development of the poultry sector in the country. The company says it is involved in the sale of SASSO chicks, the production and importation of poultry feed, the importation and distribution of veterinary medicines and poultry equipment, as well as technical and management training for farming operations. The company had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
Drive to Revive the Poultry Sector
The deal comes against the backdrop of a broader effort to revive the poultry sector. On Oct. 18, 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a pilot program to restart poultry production in the DRC. The program is set to span eight production hubs across the country to structure poultry supply chains and create synergies between modern and smallholder poultry farming, with the stated aim of strengthening food security and sovereignty.
Separately, the DRC opened discussions with Chinese partners in March 2025 on a project to produce 5 million chicks per year. The plan would involve the annual importation of 50,000 parent breeding pairs, alongside technology transfers and training support for farmers. Those talks remain at the cooperation discussion stage and do not represent a program already under implementation.
The authorities' interest in poultry is driven by the country's persistent dependence on imports. According to data from the Central Bank of Congo, the national poultry flock was estimated at more than 18.9 million head in 2023, but domestic production remains insufficient to meet internal demand. According to Trade Map, imports of poultry meat rose from 122,964 tonnes in 2019 to more than 142,300 tonnes in 2023, while the associated import bill grew from $66.4 million to nearly $91 million over the same period.
In this context, the project validated with Egg's For Congo can be seen as one element of a broader strategy to strengthen the local supply of chicks and poultry inputs. At this stage, however, public documents do not provide a full operational timeline for the PPP, a detailed investment breakdown, or the specific observations made by the UC-PPP before issuing its favorable opinion.
Timothée Manoke
Agriculture Minister Muhindo Nzangi plans to appoint a new operator to restart activities at the Lubondai agricultural site in Dibaya territory, Kasai-Central. He announced the move on February 27, 2026, during a review of agricultural programs in the wider Kasai region. The restart will be phased, beginning with the assembly of processing units and the retrieval of tractors previously deployed to the site.
Operations were initially entrusted to Bio Agro Business (BAB). The company withdrew several months ago after both sides failed to meet contractual commitments. Equipment remains at the site, which the Ministry of Agriculture says it owns, having acquired it under the Voluntary Agricultural Program (PVA). The program aims to boost food production and strengthen food self-sufficiency through a partnership between the Congolese state, equipment supplier DEM, and site operator BAB.
The minister said the restart would also extend to the Nkuadi site in Kasai-Oriental and the Mongata site in Kwango, both previously managed by BAB. In Lubondai, authorities plan to bring back tractors left in Kananga and repair feeder roads to ease operations and transport of produce.
Local media report that implementation stalled after DEM failed to meet key contractual obligations, including completing storage warehouses and fully installing processing units such as dryers, silos, and flour mills. The facilities were financed through a $139 million supplier credit granted to the PVA.
Bio Agro Business said it had received no public funding to acquire equipment and could not operate the sites without completed infrastructure. Under the contract, the company was to manage sites once fully equipped. The state was responsible for delivering installations for the production and processing of corn, cassava, and rice, as well as providing technical support to local farmers.
The Voluntary Agricultural Program covers six pilot sites: Mongata (Kwango), Nkundi (Kongo-Central), Nkuadi (Kasai-Oriental), Sakadi (Haut-Lomami), Lubondai (Kasai-Central), and Ruzizi (South Kivu).
Ronsard Luabeya
On February 7, 2026, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Muhindo Nzangi Butondo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Greek firm Géothermiki for technical studies to establish agropoles across the country.
The Greek firm will support the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in conducting the technical studies needed to set up pilot sites in several provinces, ahead of a gradual nationwide rollout, the ministry said. The MoU will need to be followed by the signing of a formal public contract.
Founded in 1996, Géothermiki Hellas operates in the agricultural sector and specializes in the dehydration and processing of fruits and vegetables.
The Congolese government has stepped up initiatives in recent months aimed at organizing and modernizing the agricultural sector. Last August, the Ministry of Industry signed a protocol agreement with ETIC International Africa Holdings Ltd to develop an agropole in Tshopo province. No public update has been provided on progress since that agreement was signed.
In July, the Ministry of Agriculture organized “Agropole Days” in Kinshasa to promote a new agricultural strategy and highlight the role of agropoles in boosting agricultural production and processing.
Separately, the DRC signed another international cooperation agreement with Ukraine in January 2026 covering agriculture, food and nutrition. The agreement was concluded in Berlin during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture and includes provisions for the transfer of agricultural technologies to boost productivity and strengthen local agricultural value chains.
Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state electricity utility, SNEL, has launched a call for expressions of interest to hire a firm to migrate its commercial management application to a web-based platform. The project aims to transform the tool currently used to manage low-voltage customers into an internet-accessible solution, as part of a broader modernization of the company’s commercial management system.
The initiative follows a call for expressions of interest signed on Jan. 26, 2026, by SNEL’s Director General, Teddy Lwamba Muba, and published on the website of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP). In the document, SNEL cites technical limitations of the existing application, known as GCOWEB-BT, as the main justification for the project.
According to the notice, the software must be installed individually on each workstation, with updates carried out computer by computer, a process described as time-consuming. The document also points to high memory and resource usage, which can affect performance during routine management operations and billing calculations. It further highlights accessibility constraints. The application reportedly works only on the workstation where it is installed, cannot be accessed from other devices such as tablets or smartphones, and shows inconsistent performance on operating systems other than Windows.
Against this backdrop, SNEL plans to migrate to a web-based application that would be accessible wherever an internet connection is available, while improving performance, ergonomics, and functionality. The document highlights an approach that would allow centralized deployment and maintenance, as well as easier integration with other systems.
A multi-million-dollar challenge
According to SNEL’s latest available detailed report for the 2022 fiscal year, reviewed in hard copy, low-voltage customers accounted for around 16.6% of revenue, or $124.8 million, out of total turnover of $752 million. The same report puts the number of low-voltage customers at nearly 797,600, representing about 99% of the customer base. These figures underscore the importance of management tools better suited to this portfolio.
At this stage, the notice does not disclose the cost of the project but states that the estimated duration of the assignment is eight calendar months. Most of the work will be carried out at SNEL’s headquarters in Kinshasa, with a planned rollout across all provinces served by the utility. Candidate firms must demonstrate proven experience, including at least five years of activity and a minimum of two similar assignments completed over the past three years.
In terms of expected outcomes, SNEL highlights gains in accessibility and performance. The impact analysis outlined in the 2022 report also points to potential improvements in operational reliability and traceability, while identifying risks related in particular to data migration, cybersecurity, and staff adoption of the new system.
Applications must be submitted to SNEL’s Procurement and Markets Department in Kinshasa/Gombe no later than March 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. local time, in accordance with the terms set out in the notice published by the ARMP.
Timothée Manoke
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plans to develop a nationwide network of grain silos through its General Strategic Reserve (RSG). Under the 2026-2028 Public Investment Plan, the government intends to allocate 14.5 billion Congolese francs, equivalent to about $6.6 million at the average exchange rate, for the construction of these facilities.
Serge Mulumba Katchy, the coordinator of the presidency-linked institution, announced that a pilot project will be set up in Kimpese, in Kongo Central province. In November 2025, he travelled to Italy to meet with the supplier producing the equipment for this first site. He said the Kimpese project would have a minimum capacity of 5,000 tonnes of grain and that the same model would later be rolled out in the country’s other provinces.
This preparatory work followed a working session held in October 2025 with experts from U.S. consulting firm International Reliable Consulting (IRC). According to the RSG, the discussions explored potential cooperation on the implementation of the silos and the establishment of a seed bank.
Created by presidential decree, the General Strategic Reserve is tasked with preventing and managing crises by building strategic stocks of essential goods. It aims to support food security, stabilise prices and assist local producers by building and renewing reserves that can be mobilised in the event of a crisis, shortage or natural disaster.
In September 2025, the institution intervened in the maize market in Kinshasa, offering 25-kg bags of maize flour for sale at 35,000 Congolese francs. This was significantly lower than prices in the capital at the time, which ranged between 40,000 and 63,000 francs depending on quality. The operation, carried out in several markets across the city, aimed to ease pressure on households and stabilise prices during a period of market strain.
Timothée Manoke
The Swiss group Mole, which specializes in agricultural commodity trading, launched a preparatory phase on Dec. 11, 2025, to secure land for the construction of the Mbanza-Ngungu agro-industrial park in Kongo Central. The project spans more than 105,000 hectares, including 85,000 hectares of arable land, and represents an estimated investment of $1 billion.
For the developers, land acquisition is the most sensitive stage of the project. Although the Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 80 million hectares of arable land, less than 10% of which is currently exploited, access to land remains one of the main constraints on agro-industrial development. Key challenges include an unreliable land registry, customary and community disputes, legal inconsistencies, risks of land grabbing, lengthy and costly procedures, and weak institutional governance.
A launch meeting attended by customary authorities, civil society representatives, and technical and financial partners was held to inform local communities, particularly land rights holders, about the process. During the meeting, the Swiss group sought to reassure stakeholders. “No land will be used without the approval of its owner,” a company representative said.
Rights holders will be asked to sign a letter of commitment defining a non-binding framework for cooperation. The document authorizes technical studies, mapping, and land inventories, while guaranteeing communities the right to retain control over land-use decisions until a final sales contract is signed. The process also includes the establishment of a grievance management committee, negotiations on acquisition terms, and the eventual signing of a contract.
Mole Group has also committed to relocating people currently living on the site to new residential areas, integrating them into partner agricultural cooperatives, and granting them priority access to employment opportunities. “The aim is to ensure that everyone is fairly compensated and can benefit from the project’s returns,” said CEO Gandi Mole.
Under the public-private partnership agreement signed last October with the Ministry of Agriculture, land constitutes part of the state’s contribution to the project. “But to avoid any conflict, we wanted to proceed differently by involving local communities from the outset,” a source within the Swiss company said. The developers aim to secure 80% of the required land within six to eight months, a move intended to facilitate the government’s role in the process.
Once fully operational, the agro-industrial park is expected to produce 700,000 tonnes of finished products annually, including cassava, maize, and wheat flours, as well as sugar and rice. The project is projected to generate more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.
In addition to state support, the project is backed by international partners, notably Switzerland-based Bühler, which specializes in agri-food equipment and advanced materials, and Belgium’s De Smet Engineers & Contractors, known for its expertise in delivering turnkey agro-industrial plants.
Ronsard Luabeya
The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Dec. 8 approved $160 million in financing to improve transport and logistics links around the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park (PAIN) in Lomami province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The project’s total cost is estimated at $177.16 million, with the Congolese government covering the balance. Construction work was officially launched on Dec. 2 by Minister of State for Agriculture Muhindo Nzangi.
According to the AfDB, the project aims to reduce the isolation of the PAIN area and better integrate it into the central DRC’s main economic corridors. It includes the construction and rehabilitation of the Nkuadi-Ngandajika-PAIN and Lukalaba-Ngandajika road corridors, as well as upgrades to connecting roads between the RN1 and RN2 national highways. The plan also includes an extension of the runway at Mbuji-Mayi airport to support agri-business freight operations.
The investments are expected to benefit farmers, transport operators and agri-businesses in Kasaï-Oriental and Lomami by lowering logistics costs and improving access to markets. Women and young people, who play a key role in local agricultural value chains, are also expected to gain from the expanded economic opportunities.
Léandre Bassolé, the AfDB’s Director General for Central Africa, said the financing marks “a major step forward for Central Africa’s economic integration and for the industrialization of agriculture in the DRC.” He added that the project is not limited to road infrastructure but is designed to strengthen agricultural value chains and develop new trade corridors, boosting competitiveness and economic inclusion.
The project is part of the Agricultural Transformation Program (PTA) and complements the Support Program for the Development of the Ngandajika Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (PRODAN).
In October, the agriculture ministry launched a tender to recruit contractors for several design-and-build components of the PAIN. These include site development, construction of internal roads, connection to the high- and medium-voltage power grid, installation of drinking water systems, deployment of internal fibre-optic networks, and construction of a one-stop service centre and an agricultural aggregation and services hub.
Ronsard Luabeya
Congolese agricultural authorities on Tuesday began seizing unfermented cocoa beans in the Mambasa territory of Ituri province, local media reported.
The operation, carried out by the Office National des Produits Agricoles (ONAPAC), aims to stop practices that are hurting cocoa quality in the region. The decision follows resolutions adopted at the second general assembly of coffee and cocoa farmers held in October.
ONAPAC will be assisted by the Local Council for Coffee, Cocoa, and Other Agricultural Products for Rural Development, the anti-fraud unit of the Congolese National Police, and the Mambasa Peace Court to enforce the regulations.
Other measures will also take effect, local media said. These include a formal ban on roaming, informal buying practices to combat fraud, curb unfair competition, and improve traceability. Buyer identification will also be required to secure transactions and strengthen accountability in the supply chain.
The measures come amid a sharp drop in cocoa prices in October. Local media reported that the price per kilogram fell from 20,000 Congolese francs to 6,000 francs in several buying houses in Mambasa and Irumu.
While global prices have been affected by a production recovery in West Africa, part of the local collapse is due to quality issues. Dieudonne Kambale, an agronomist with ESCO Kivu, quoted by 7sur7.cd, said the region’s cocoa suffers from insufficient fermentation. Although beans should ferment for about a week, many producers dry them directly in the sun for only two to three days before selling.
The head of the local buyers’ association for agricultural and perennial products, Mumbere Musumba Jackson, made the same point in July.
Timothée Manoke