Mole Group, a Swiss firm specializing in trading agricultural commodities, wants to set up an agro-industrial park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The firm has dispatched a delegation to the African country to present the project to various senior Congolese officials. Meetings between both sides began on Sept. 23. 

According to reliable sources, the park should be established in Mbanga-Ngunzu, close to Lufu, an important supply market for the DRC and Angola. The site is also near National Road No. 1, which connects Matadi, the DRC's main port, to Kinshasa,  the capital. 

The project integrates production, processing, and conservation activities, and should be set up in partnership with experts in processing, storage, and modern production techniques. 

The investment’s amount is not known, presently, but it could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The park targets an output of 750,000 tonnes of food annually, primarily cassava, corn, and sugar.

According to Congolese Minister of Economy, Daniel Mukoko Samba, the DRC faces an annual shortfall of 10 million tonnes of corn against a domestic demand of 13 million tonnes. Other products like manioc and sugar are also in short supply. The International Trade Centre reported that the country imported $222 million worth of cereals in 2023.

At the Africa-China summit, the DRC's agricultural strategy was strengthened with export targets that allow the country to sell up to one million tons of agricultural products to China. 

Mole Group is already active in the DRC with a fair-trade cocoa project and aims to prioritize the local market. The company plans to improve food supply and living conditions for farmers and local communities while incorporating renewable energy and technology transfer into its project.

Georges Auréole Bamba

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the parliament is reviewing the draft of the 2025 finance bill. During the bill’s presentation to the deputies, Congolese Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa noted a 13% increase in the budget for agriculture. "There is a 13% increase in resources for agriculture," she said.

For now, it is not known if the increase will apply only to agricultural production or if it will also cover inputs purchase, building storage and processing infrastructure, and transport routes.

In her budget guidance letter to government members, PM Suminwa said the resources allocated to agriculture should help increase the sector’s share to 10% of gross domestic product (GDP), in line with the Maputo Convention. The official stressed the importance of considering the entire value chain and maintaining and constructing 10,000 kilometers of agricultural roads across the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture is one of seven ministries eligible for results-based budget management with program budgets. The Ministry of Rural Development as well.

From 2024 to 2026, these two ministries will receive 7,316 billion Congolese francs (around $2.6 billion). The government's ability to effectively use these funds for agricultural development will be crucial. Although recent reports from the Minister of Finance highlighted some efforts, challenges remain, such as high wage expenditures and the need to improve actual payment processes.

Compared to 24, the draft finance bill for 2025 proposes a 21% budget increase, bringing total resources and expenditures to 49,847 billion Congolese francs (just over $18 billion). To meet these goals, the government plans to enhance tax revenue collection and benefit from higher commodity prices to increase royalties.

Georges Auréole Bamba