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Under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture, IITA–CGIAR launched the “Cassava Value Chain Development Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” in Kinshasa. The USAID-funded project is meant to strengthen and further structure the organization of the cassava sector in the DRC.

Field worker displaying harvesting cassava roots.

The cassava value chain in the DRC has not yet reached its full potential. However, the crop is important for ensuring food security because of its resilience to climate change, high temperatures, and impoverished soils.

To optimize cassava’s benefit, particularly its huge industrial potential, it is imperative to strengthen the capacities of involved stakeholders and organize the exploration of the value chain to create greater opportunities. This strategy aligns with the DRC Government’s vision to maximize the economic impact of agriculture.

This vision underpins the Agenda for the Transformation of Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (ATA-DRC), a program implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture with technical assistance from IITA and the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI).

“Cassava is at the core of government efforts to boost the agro-industrial sector and broaden the economic base to achieve the government development objectives,” said José Mpanda Minister of Agriculture.

This project will improve the functioning of the cassava value chain through interventions at each segment level—basic products supply (such as seeds), root production techniques, value addition, processing, quality standards of the produce, market, and business environment.

The project will take an integrated approach to address poor cassava yields by combining best agricultural practices, such as improved high-yielding cassava varieties, fertilizers, and regular weeding.

Timely planting and harvesting, as well as mechanization and industrialization, will also be used to create wealth and generate employment at each value chain level. In addition to food, cassava is a very versatile crop, and its derivatives are used in different sectors, including confectionery, textiles, the pharmaceutical industry, and livestock.

Women sorting cassava peels for processing into livestock feed.

In the past, USAID had partnered with IITA to control the spread of cassava pests and diseases such as cassava mealybug (CMB), cassava mosaic virus (CMV), cassava bacteriosis (CBB), and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) in the DRC. In each situation, IITA, in collaboration with the National Institute for Agronomic Studies and Research (INERA), developed and identified varieties of cassava that were efficient and tolerant against each disease.

This new USAID-funded project will build on these successes and scale up related technologies.

USAID support will help bolster DRC cassava producers, processors, and input suppliers by strengthening their capacities and easing their access to resources and markets to allow for the growth of the cassava subsector. Similarly, the project will aim to reduce or eliminate bottlenecks hindering production, processing, and marketing, including manufacturing high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) and using it in the food industry, such as breadmaking. Substituting wheat flour with cassava breadmaking flour (at the rate of ten percent) will allow the DRC to reduce the cost of producing bread and create employment in the sector. This will also reduce DRC’s reliance on food imports and improve the country’s trade balance.

“As part of our continued support to improve the food security for the DRC population, this new project, along with other USAID-funded initiatives, will partner with Congolese farmers and agribusinesses to revamp economic growth, increase employment opportunities, and improve livelihoods,” noted Zoumana Bamba, IITA’s Regional Director for the Central Africa Hub and Country Representative for the DRC.

“The Congolese agricultural system must modernize to meet current agricultural, commercial, and economic challenges, and IITA commits to contributing to the development of the cassava value chain by leveraging the necessary agricultural technologies and innovations,” Bamba continued.

This US government initiative will be implemented closely with national research institutions, farmer organizations, and the private sector.

Contributed by Zoumana Bamba

Following the recommendations from previous training on Seed Business, IITA–CGIAR, through its program Strengthening the Supply of Improved Seeds and the Public-Private Partnership in Central Africa (SISCA), organized an awareness workshop on the merits of seed regulations from 22 to 25 August for seed-multiplying agricultural structures from North Kivu and Maniema provinces.

The workshop satisfies the project’s objective 3 to enlighten small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), cooperatives, seed producers, and agricultural traders about seed regulations and develop a communication strategy that promotes the widespread use of relevant communication and knowledge-sharing products to foster a good understanding of seed legislation and regulations.

Participants of the awareness workshop on the merits of seed regulations.

Stakeholders from 29 private structures participated in this session, including 12 from Maniema and 17 from North Kivu, comprising five women and 24 men. However, they could not embark on field practice outside Goma City because of the security and travel disruptions.

In his opening remarks, Dominique Guillet, Special Advisor and representative of the Governor of the North Kivu Province, highlighted the importance of seeds to food security and, by extension, national security. “The seed is the start of the food chain. He who controls the seed controls the food chain, therefore, controls the people,” Guillet said.

At the workshop’s close, PASA-NK Coordinator Anicet Tembo congratulated all the participants for their active engagement and lauded the team of trainers for their excellent delivery. The attendees also received certificates of participation.

Central Africa Director Zoumana Bamba with participants of the ATA-RDC retreat.

The government-funded Agricultural Transformation Agenda program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (ATA-DRC) successfully concluded a stock-taking workshop, where they outlined the lessons learned from the first phase and prepared for the activities and staffing requirements for the second phase. The project team met at the IITA Kinshasa office from 23 to 25 August 2023. The meeting aimed to analyze the project performance via the activities implemented in the first phase, exchange experiences, learn from the gaps and challenges, and build a solid work plan based on each hub’s priorities for the next two years.

IITA is implementing the project in partnership with the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), which provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture through the project hubs at Mongata, Lubumbashi, Ruzizi, TShopo, and Nkuadi. Different crops, including maize, rice, soybean, banana, cowpea, and cassava, are involved in the project. Among these crops, cassava remains the most important for the Congolese.

Diagram of cassava production from field to factory.

Under Frederick Schreurs’ leadership in the seed system unit, the cassava seed system has been strengthened with Dr Adetoro Najimu and team in Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic (SAH) technology for rapid supply of improved and resistant cassava varieties, particularly in the area where there are seed crises like Ruzizi Plain, the Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) hotspot.

Contributed Sikirou Mouritala

A group of SMEs, cooperatives, and seed producers were trained in basic seed production, quality assurance, and business management in the Kasai Oriental Province of DR Congo from 11 to 15 July. The seed business capacity-building workshop organized by the Strengthening the Supply of Improved Seeds and Improved Public-private Partnerships in Central Africa (SISCA) project at the IITA–CGIAR Mbuji Mayi office had representatives from government agencies in attendance.

Jean de Dieu Bajikila, Representative of the Provincial Minister of Agriculture during the opening of the Seed Business workshop.

Speaking at the opening of the training, a representative of the provincial Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Jean de Dieu Bajikila Cimanga, appreciated partners supporting the Congolese government in agriculture. Cimanga highlighted the merits of the workshop for actors in the seed sub-sector in relation to the provincial government’s efforts to combat food insecurity.

The workshop covered thematic areas like maize seed production, production and quality assurance of cassava cuttings, and best business practices.

During a presentation on the SISCA project, Seed System Specialist and SISCA Regional Coordinator Pheneas Ntawuruhunga highlighted the core deliverables and impact of the project since its inception.

Agri-multiplier structures led by women, brandishing their certificate of participation.

As part of SISCA’s deliverables, on the one hand, the training is in line with the 2019-2025 action plan on “Gender Mainstreaming at IFAD,” which aims to empower rural women and improve the equality and well-being of rural households and communities. On the other hand, it aligns with IFAD’s 2019-2021 Action Plan for Rural Youth, which considers the needs of young people in terms of opening up business opportunities to young people in the emerging seed sector.

IITA-SISCA seed expert Fabrice Kalala delivered sessions on the seed sector, its regulatory framework, and the seed lot traceability system.

A maize breeder at INERA Ngandajika, Ir Majambu, gave a presentation on maize seed production, and a seed business consultant, Kimani Kiruthi, presented a detailed session on marketing and management of seed companies and how seed multipliers can make their business successful.

Participants evaluated the training and made recommendations at the end of the workshop. Through their representatives, they committed to passing on the knowledge to their respective communities and putting what they learned into practice.

In his closing speech, Provincial Authority Cimanga commended all the participants and the team of trainers for their active engagement during the workshop.

Appreciating IITA for organizing the workshop, Cimanga called for further collaboration with IITA in mitigating food insecurity in the province.

The SISCA project is an IITA program implemented in Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, and DR Congo) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Contact Dr Pheneas Ntawuruhunga (p.ntawuruhunga@cgiar.org) and Fabrice Bwanga Kalala (f.kalala@cgiar.org) for further information.

Eight youth agripreneurs from the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), trained in agribusiness by IITA–CGIAR and its partners, have received grants under the PICAGL project funded by the World Bank through the Congolese government. This was done during a gala presentation of the young entrepreneurs’ business plans organized in Bukavu. The awards ceremony took place in Bukavu on 27 January.

Impact for Nutrition founders celebrating with the US$1,500 cheque.

During the event, 16 young entrepreneurs from South Kivu, trained by IITA and its partners involved in producing, processing, and marketing agricultural products, presented a bankable business plan. The jury selected eight of these 16 business plans because they incorporate value creation, innovation, sustainability, and feasibility.

The company, Impact for Nutrition, which produces flour based on biofortified crops rich in micronutrients for children, was awarded US$1,500. The second business plan received a grant of US$1,400, the third US$1,350, the fourth US$1,300, the fifth US$1,250, the sixth US$1,200, the seventh US$1,100, and the eighth US$1,000.

Dr Jacob Mignouna, Head of the President Olusegun Obasanjo IITA Research Station, addressing the attendees at the gala.

Head of the President Olusegun Obasanjo IITA Research Station, Jacob Mignouna, congratulated all 16 youth for their efforts in presenting business plans. “It is through agribusiness that the DRC can achieve food self-sufficiency and job creation,” said Mignouna.

“The objective of this evening was to give young Congolese the tools to develop their business in the agricultural sector. They spent three months in theoretical and practical training, and today you saw what they presented as a business plan. In the room, there were investors, and for me, it is already good because these young people need them. We have all seen young Congolese who are ready to engage in agricultural development in the business aspect,” said Mignouna, who also coordinates the projects that are part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda in DRC (ATA-DRC).

Eight youth agripreneurs received the grants after presenting their business plans.

PICAGL has trained nearly 1,200 youth in agribusiness, and they have created 780 agribusinesses in the project implementation areas. During the four years of implementation of this project in South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces of DRC, 66 young Agripreneurs have received grants from the PICAGL project. This is thanks to the technical support of IITA on entrepreneurial agriculture, the creation and formalization of businesses, the development of bankable business plans, and the facilitation of access to the market and credit.

Contributed by Isabelle Buhoro and Michèle Kimpwene

IITA Director General Dr Nteranya Sanginga has been appointed as interim Chairman of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria Business Forum by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the DRC. This platform creates a Chamber of Commerce between the two countries.

IITA Director General Dr Nteranya Sanginga is the interim Chairman of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria Business Forum.

This title was granted to him during the last meeting of the Makutano forum hosted by the presidency of the Republic, during which President Tshisekedi welcomed the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, with business people ready to invest in the DRC in general and in the agro-food sector.

The Makutano Forum is a pan-African exchange meeting organized yearly in DRC since 2015. The objective is to promote the potential wealth that African countries have in general and DRC and develop Africa. The founder of The Makutano Forum is Mrs Nicole Sulu from DRC.

Furthermore, during this forum, the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, will serve as the Interim Deputy President, while Pacific Kahasha and Ambassador Leke Adebiyi will be Interim Secretary and Interim Deputy Secretary, respectively.

DG Sanginga thanked the President of the DRC, Tshisekedi, and “Baba” Obasanjo for this appointment and argued that: “Agricultural activity should be considered as a commercial activity and non-social…the government should support agricultural entrepreneurship.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo could be considered a global food solution country capable of feeding approximately 2 billion people worldwide. It has a surface area of 2,345,410 km2 and potential such as 80 million ha of arable land, 4 million ha of irrigable land (of which only 1% is cultivated), 4 million head of cattle, and a fishing density estimated at 700,000 tons of fish per year.

Contributed by Michèle Kimpwene

One CGIAR—the newly restructured consortium—held its first Informational and Consultative Meeting on 9 September in Bukavu, the capital of the South-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

Dr Kwesi Atta-Krah presenting an overview of the restructured One CGIAR, on behalf of the Regional Director for West and Central Africa (WCAR). — Partners and stakeholders in the agricultural sector participated in the Informational and Consultative Meeting

Hosted and led by One CGIAR’s centers operating in DR Congo—IITA and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and Bioversity International Alliance (CIAT-Bioversity Alliance)—the one-day session brought together the diverse partners and stakeholders in the agropastoral sector at its various value chain levels. Besides representatives of civil society bodies, academic institutions, and developmental, entrepreneurial, and associative structures attending the meeting, guests also included officials from the provincial government of the South-Kivu led by the Chief of Staff of the Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Fishing and Livestock.

The session briefed and enlightened attendees on the rationale, implications, and prospects of the transition to One CGIAR, touching on the process of change, the structuring of the revamped consortium’s initiatives, and the planned modus operandi at the global, regional, and country levels. It was also about building and strengthening interactions and relationships with officials, government-led bodies, and local partners committed to ensuring that agriculture leads to food and nutrition security in DR Congo.

The moderator of the day, Dr David Bugeme, recalled that the One CGIAR transition consists of a dynamic re-framing of CGIAR’s partnerships, knowledge, assets, and global presence, aimed at greater integration and impact in the face of the interrelated challenges facing the world today.

Partners and stakeholders in the agricultural sector participated in the Informational and Consultative Meeting.

Representing the One CGIAR’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa (WCAR), Dr Nteranya Sanginga, Dr Kwesi Atta-Krah highlighted a vital aspect of the “reshaped” consortium. “CGIAR’s centers are coming together under a single organizational structure to enable better resource management and allocation, more cohesive research undertakings, and closer interactions among partnering structures,” he stated. He added that this would maximize the adoption of ensuing outcomes and development-oriented resolutions for optimum economic growth, among other goals.

Furthering Atta-Krah’s clarification, One CGIAR’s Country Convener (Focal Point) for DR Congo, Liliane Togogo, noted that part of the innovative geo-administrative pattern of One CGIAR includes ʺscrutinizing specific issues, thinking through possible solutions, planning and implementing appropriate action/interventions in the frame of ‘Initiatives’.ʺ

“For DR Congo, the said Initiatives will be spearheaded in various locations by two of the thirteen One CGIAR centers established in the country to date, that is, IITA and the newly formed CIAT-Bioversity Alliance,” she said. In DR Congo, the three selected Initiatives would relate to 1) Excellence in agronomy for sustainable intensification and adaptation to climate change, 2) Plant health and rapid response to ensure food security and improved livelihoods, and 3) Transforming agro-food systems in West and Central Africa.

Responding to questions from participants, a panel comprising Atta-Krah, Dr Antoine Lubobo (representing CIAT-Bioversity Alliance), Bugeme, and Togogo, reiterated that the revisited perspective of One CGIAR is to ensure the focus and actions of staff and partners match the specific challenges to revolutionize engagement-related practice and decision-making processes for more sustainable development.

Atta-Krah commended the DRC Government’s commitment through its Ministry of Agriculture, observing that the move has great potential to help the country attract and host more centers and programs soon.

Enlightened on the proposed functioning, features, partnership approach, and research directions of the One CGIAR, participants expressed the wish to have further interactive opportunities to allow for the harmonization of actions to be carried out by the various stakeholders. These would also bring all key stakeholders to gather and analyze identified challenges, set the prerequisites, and design all-inclusive strategies for optimal results.

The official launch of One CGIAR in DR Congo will take place soon in Kinshasa after holding the much-desired sessions—as suggested by the participants—to bridge differences and agree on the way forward.

Contributed by Isabelle Buhoro and Gabriel Dunia

Within the framework of the ATAC and the Development of Commercial Agriculture projects, funded respectively by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank in Congo Brazzaville, 12 officers from the ministry of agriculture, the National Research Institute (IRA), the National Center for Improved Seed (CNSA) and the National Center for the Management of Crop Diseases (CNLMC) were trained across four IITA stations in DR Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia, with the objective to strengthen the capacity of the Agricultural Officers so that they could train others in their home country, the Republic of Congo.

Visiting a cassava multiplication site in DR Congo.

The workshops in DR Congo, Nigeria, and Zambia covered various themes and incorporated presentations and interactive discussions. The trainees were familiarized with sustainable seed systems to raise awareness on seed quality, explaining different approaches to produce cassava planting materials, maize and soybean seeds, and the integrated management of seed multiplication fields. They also received practical instruction on operationalizing seed certification standards, including quality declared seed (SQD), protocols, and quality control mechanisms. Additionally, participants visited fields where maize, soybean, and cassava planting materials for the ATAC/PRODIVAC project would be sourced for introduction to Congo-Brazzaville for multiplication.

The Congolese trainees at an IITA-Tanzania laboratory.

In Tanzania, participants were trained in cassava pest and disease diagnostics in both the field and lab and in methods to improve the quality of cassava seed systems. They learned about cassava pests and diseases, how to identify their symptoms, and the damage they cause in the field. The trainees learned how to apply digital tools in the field to identify pest and disease damage, the laboratory methods for detecting and identifying cassava viruses and their whitefly vector and the methods applied at country level to strengthen cassava seed systems.

Taining participants, during a field visit in Zambia. — Training participants, during a field visit in Zambia.

By the end of the training, the field and classroom tests demonstrated that the trainees had absorbed a large amount of new information. Trainees expressed their enthusiasm for the training provided and were keen to continue to interact with the team of trainers. The capacity-building initiative also required follow-up training to be conducted locally in the Republic of Congo to ensure that the training elements were being implemented and reinforced.

Contributed by Dr Apollin Fotso

countries: Congo

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