The Democratic Republic of Congo
The DRC has a total area of 2,344,885 sq km (905,365 sq mi) and is the third-largest country in Africa, after Sudan and Algeria.
The DRC’s vegetation is extremely rich and diverse. Most of the northern two-thirds of the country are covered in dense rain forest. Rubber trees of various species, coffee, cotton and oil palms are indigenous. Among the native fruit trees are coconut palm and plantain. Timber trees occur abundantly. Species include teak, ebony, African cedar, mahogany, iroko and redwood. In all, about 57 percent (2005) of the country’s total area is forested.
A new land tenure system
Despite such the abundant natural resources, traditional land tenure in Kivu provides no security to invest in the land. Indeed, while large farmers fully enjoy their rights on the land, smallholders use plots which are under the control of local leaders and large private owners (including churches and rich heads of households). This situation is worsening in highly populated areas of high altitude, where the need for agricultural intensification is felt most.
CATALIST reviewed tenure issues in North and South Kivu with an emphasis on investment required for agricultural intensification and the inherent need to ensure security in the use of the land. This review focused on the adoption of a land system favorable to agricultural intensification. The review also led to the conclusion that all stakeholders in the agricultural sector, including the Ministry of Agriculture, producer organizations and (NGOs), must undertake a cost/benefit analysis associated with investments in agricultural intensification, particularly among small farmers.
CATALIST also supports the tenure issue through organizations that take the initiative to seek solutions to the land issue – FOPAC, SYDIC, ASOP, FAT, Heritiers de la Justice and APRODEPED. A seminar which brought these organizations together with local authorities was held in Goma. This was an opportunity for participants to discuss the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) approach and its implications on the land tenure system.
Indeed, the combined use of organic amendments and inorganic fertilizers is a vital tool in soil fertility improvement to increase production, but CATALIST is convinced that there will not be agriculture intensification in the DRC until a land tenure system recognizing the rights of smallholder farmers is established.
Tax exemption on agro-input imports
Another form of lobbying that the project has undertaken is in favor of the application of the 2006 Abuja Declaration. The declaration, which advocates the permanent exemption of taxes on the importation of fertilizer inputs and raw materials in Africa, is also on CATALIST's agenda.
This resulted in the temporary tax exemption on agricultural inputs for a one year-period, effective February 2009. Efforts will continue to ensure the full application of the 2006 Abuja Declaration.
As a result, CATALIST assisted COOCENKI, one of its proximity operators in North Kivu, to import agricultural inputs for the 2009A agricultural season. The fertilizers were used by a number of the project's other partners in the region.
Outscaling through Partnerships
Collaboration with BRALIMA
An opportunity to out-scale the agricultural intensification results through BRALIMA – the Heineken International-owned brewery in South Kivu, DRC – is being analyzed. Rice promotion in the Ruzizi plain is under development and stakeholders of the value chain, including the brewery and others are involved in the discussions.
BRALIMA and CATALIST support the development of rice production in the Ruzizi plain. CATALIST is also interested in assessing the opportunity to trigger the resumption of sugar cane production.
BRALIMA received a major grant from the Directorate General for the Netherlands Cooperation and Development for public and private sector partnership agreements. With this partnership, the Directorate General for Cooperation and Development will underwrite 40 percent of BRALIMA investments. The latter includes rice production on its agenda, in order to contribute to poverty reduction while at the same meeting its needs in raw material. The Ruzizi plain covers 80,000 ha; among which 14,000 ha are rice-growing with 45,000 producers. This area has been chosen as a zone of agricultural intensification.
In addition to supporting the improvement of rice production, CATALIST will work with BRALIMA to strengthen ties with other stakeholders contributing to the revitalization of rice production in the region. The project will also support the establishment of a strong association of rice producers – a prerequisite to the development of the rice value chain in the plain. This activity will ensure that farmers can negotiate a fair price for their product.
Collaboration with MIDEMA
MIDEMA is the largest importer of wheat in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is considering the re-establishment of its mill in Lubero. MIDENA is interested in working with CATALIST to facilitate the development of the wheat industry value chain.
Collaboration with VECO
VECO is a Belgian NGO active in both North and South Kivu provinces. In Butembo, it mainly supports a COOCENKI cooperative for the processing and marketing of agricultural products such as corn and beans. The World Food Program (WFP) is COOCENKI's main client. CATALIST will sign a partnership with VECO to support the maize, rice and wheat value chains. The ultimate objective is to replace imports and food aid through national agricultural production. The project intends to collaborate with VECO in the intensification of seed production in the "Great North," a project that VECO initiated with producer organizations.
