The Democratic Republic of the Congo offers several investment opportunities in the agricultural sector, from production to marketing, creating a competitive value chain in the sub-region.

With its exceptional agronomic potential and an area of agricultural land unequalled in Africa, the DRC can feed 2 billion people.

Indeed, DR Congo has more than 80 million arable lands, of which less than 10% are currently exploited. The diversity of climates, supported by an important hydrographic network, allows for a wide range of agricultural speculation.

The grasslands and savannahs are likely to support a livestock population of around 40 million head of cattle. Tropical forests, which occupy 135 million hectares, or 52% of the territory, constitute an important biodiversity reserve and developable land.

While the irrigation potential is estimated at 4 million hectares, it is still modest. 

The fishing potential, located in the Congolese parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the Congo River, and all the lakes, is estimated at 707,000 tons of fish per year. The fisheries sector includes marine fisheries, inland fisheries, and aquaculture. Marine production comes from a small coastline about 40 km long wedged between Angola and the Republic of Congo, with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covering an estimated area of 1,150 km².

Freshwater fishery resources populate the country’s many lakes, swamps, and floodplains fed by the rich hydrographic system of the Congo Basin.

Aquaculture is mainly based on subsistence family fish farming in which the cultivation of Tilapias and catfish is preponderant despite the potential for breeding other species.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a significant fishing potential, estimated at more than 707,000 tons of annual production.

A potential linked mainly to its vast hydrographic network and its relief favourable to the development of fish farming. Therefore, the development of fisheries is a priority in the fight against food insecurity, as fish can easily supplement the animal protein needs of the poorest populations.

Current annual production, essentially small-scale and continental, is about 240 000 tons, i.e., about 30% of the potential. Because of the short length of the coast, catches of marine origin are modest and estimated at around 2% of total production since the 1980s, with only 6 000 tons.

This total production corresponds to an average annual consumption of 5.5 kg per inhabitant. All of this production comes from artisanal fishing using pirogues and beach seines.

DR Congo has a potential of 40 million head of livestock. However, the Congolese national livestock is very diversified and dominated by goats in terms of head of animals: 11% cattle, 14% sheep, 15% pigs, and 60% goats.

Within the framework of the revival of agro-industry in the DRC, several sectors have been selected based on several factors such as the state of existing resources, old or new traditions, the degree of organization of producers, the presence or absence of development projects, the state of infrastructure, the availability of land, regulations and the business climate.

• Industrialized commodity chains: coffee, cocoa, tea, cinchona, rubber, sugar, palm oil (vegetable commodity chains); cattle, pigs, poultry (animal commodity chains);
• Sectors with high potential for industrial development: maize, manioc, rice, and soya;
• Sectors of socio-economic importance for the grassroots communities: fishing, fish farming.

Source: ANAPI, 2021.