A $260.4 million loan approved by the AfDB’s Board of Directors aims to propel the Support Project for the Development of Value Chains in Support of the Agricultural Transformation Programme (PADCV-PTA).
This project, with a total budget of $311.6 million, is co-financed by the AfDB. The African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional window, is contributing $250.4 million. An additional $10 million comes from the Transition Support Facility, a mechanism supporting countries in transition. The Congolese government and beneficiaries will also contribute $51.2 million.
The PADCV-PTA initiative targets increased production of staple crops like rice, cassava, maize, and soya. This focus aims to reduce the DRC’s reliance on food imports, which amounted to a staggering $3 billion in 2023, representing 19% of the national budget. The project also seeks to strengthen the country’s resilience against external factors like climate change and conflict.
The project will rebuild the foundation of the targeted value chains by restoring seed supplies for rice, cassava, maize, and soya. Strategies will be implemented to enhance crop yields in a sustainable manner. The project will improve market access for producers in these value chains and facilitate access to appropriate financing.
An estimated 295,000 hectares of land will be cultivated with improved, climate-resistant seeds for maize, soya, cassava, and rice. Up to 1,600 farmer field schools and demonstration plots will be established, providing training on climate-smart farming techniques. Development of irrigated rice-growing areas will enable farmers to achieve intensive production with multiple cycles per year. A credit system will be established to provide producers with essential inputs at the beginning of the cropping season, with repayment occurring at harvest time. This aims to build working capital and facilitate long-term access to inputs and processing equipment for producer cooperatives.
Approximately 600 kilometers of rural roads will be rehabilitated to enhance access between production areas and consumption centers. The project will encourage the formation of producer cooperatives to benefit from economies of scale through group purchases and sales. This will empower small-scale farmers and strengthen their bargaining power in establishing mutually beneficial partnerships.
A shared-cost financing mechanism will be established to improve access to finance for producers. The project will build the capacity of stakeholders involved in the national agricultural research and seed systems to rebuild the national seed capital.
Implemented in six provinces – Kongo Central, Kwango, Mai-Ndombe, Kasai Oriental, Lomami, and Sud-Kivu – these regions supply major cities and have the potential to export to neighboring countries. An estimated 900,000 farming households, including internally displaced people, will directly benefit from the project, representing 24% of the Congolese population. All female heads of households in the project area will also be included. The project is expected to achieve an 80% increase in yields for targeted crops, leading to a 1.68 million-tonne annual boost in agricultural production and a 4.1 million-tonne increase in private agricultural processing over five years.
The DRC’s food imports are projected to decrease by $500 million annually. Food security is expected to improve for around 21 million people in Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, and Bukavu, three of the DRC’s major urban centers. The project has the potential to strengthen regional integration between the DRC and neighboring Angola through increased trade in agricultural products.
By addressing these critical areas, the PADCV-PTA, with the support of the AfDB’s investment, aims to significantly transform the DRC’s agricultural sector, enhancing food security, self-sufficiency, and economic development.
TE/fss/abj/APA