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
