Ruzizi Plain harvest campaign: A realization of DRC’s agricultural transformation vision

18 March 2024

On 5 March, the Ruzizi Plain site of the Agenda for Agricultural Transformation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (ATA-DRC) program launched the harvest campaign for season A and crop season B.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock in South Kivu province, Jean Bosco Ruteye Kitambala, attended the launch as part of the realization of the Head of State’s vision to strengthen agricultural production above mining operations.

The program is run by the Ministry of Agriculture, with technical support from IITA, BAB, AALI, and other state institutions, including INERA, SENASEM, the Agriculture Inspectorate, and SNV.

The maize field before the harvest.
The maize field before the harvest.

In the Ruzizi Plain, in MATABA, this project has cultivated 30 ha of maize and 30 ha of soya, and other households in the Ruzizi Plain have benefited from fortified organic maize seed. They will return 10% of the harvest, which will be processed locally to provide the community with high-quality flour.

The community corn hybrid production field belonging to the Association for the Development and Promotion of Peace (ADPP) has been chosen as the pilot site for this activity.,

Participants in the field during the launch of the harvest season campaign.
Participants in the field during the launch of the harvest season campaign.

Ruteye Kitambala said the initiative aims to improve household and local population income, increase farm household incomes, and significantly reduce food imports into the country. He expressed his satisfaction with the work accomplished by the government’s partners in this initiative.

ATA-DRC is currently being carried out in 4 pilot provinces, including Mongata in the city-province of Kinshasa, Nkuadi in Kasaï Oriental, Nkudi in Central Congo, and Plaine de la Ruzizi in South Kivu.

 

Farmers holding harvested maize cobs.
Farmers holding harvested maize cobs.

The program aims to prioritize agriculture over mining, aligning with the Head of State’s vision to transform agriculture into an economic powerhouse.

Contributed by Isabelle Buhoro