The Democratic Republic of Congo is shifting from a sector-specific response to a broader inter-ministerial strategy to protect its cocoa industry, which has been hit by falling international prices, weak local processing capacity, logistical bottlenecks and smuggling.
At the May 8, 2026 cabinet meeting, Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya presented a report on the decline in cocoa prices and measures aimed at protecting local producers. The cabinet approved the plan after discussion.
According to the meeting summary, the government is favoring a market-driven strategy rather than direct price controls. The approach is built around three priorities: diversifying export markets, improving compliance with international quality standards and expanding production capacity.
The plan follows a sharp decline in cocoa prices. Data from the National Commission on Market Prices cited during the meeting showed cocoa trading at $3.09 per kilogram during the week of April 6-11, 2026, down from $5.85 in December 2025 and nearly $11 in December 2024 on international markets.
Officials attributed the decline to a global supply surplus during the 2025-2026 season, changing demand patterns in the European chocolate industry and weak coordination between Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the world's two leading cocoa producers.
Beyond the Price Slump
For Kinshasa, the current crisis has also highlighted structural weaknesses in the Congolese cocoa sector. The cabinet summary pointed to fragmented supply chains, limited processing capacity, quality deficiencies and severe logistical constraints affecting producers.
The measures under consideration therefore extend beyond short-term support. They include tax incentives for exporters using official trade channels and repatriating export revenues to the DRC, continued distribution of improved seeds and fermentation equipment, and the construction of warehouses and storage facilities.
The government also plans to organize smallholder farmers into cooperatives to strengthen their bargaining power and reduce dependence on intermediaries.
The industrial component of the plan includes the creation of a credit line through the Industrial Promotion Fund to pre-finance cocoa purchasing campaigns and kick-start local processing operations. Kinshasa also intends to accelerate the rollout of special economic zones in Musienene, in North Kivu province, and Gwaka, in South Ubangi, while preparing additional industrial hubs in Ituri and Haut-Uele.
The strategy also includes a security component. Authorities plan to establish a joint Police-Customs-Army unit to monitor informal smuggling routes, reflecting efforts to tighten oversight of exports and reduce foreign exchange leakage.
The government is also planning the urgent rehabilitation of road corridors linking production areas to ports, border crossings and major commercial hubs, alongside training programs aimed at helping producers meet international standards.
Through this strategy, Kinshasa is seeking to address the cocoa crisis through a more integrated approach combining tax policy, quality improvement, logistics, security and local processing.
The government aims not only to shield producers from market volatility, but also to strengthen oversight of a sector expected to play a growing role in diversifying Congolese exports. The DRC is targeting annual cocoa production of three million tonnes by 2030, up from around 100,000 tonnes in 2024, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
Ronsard Luabeya
