CONGOLESE AGRICULTURE IN NORTH KIVU

By

Sylvain Muyali

We are in the province of North Kivu in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In agriculture, this province is ranked second from bottom in the DRC following more than fifteen years of continual wars and the displacement of people from rural to urban environments.

The provincial Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in North Kivu, Mr Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, within the last week completed a work assignment in the territories of Beni and Lubero where, in addition to the free distribution of coffee seedlings, he also highlighted the fight against the bacterial wilt disease (banana) and the inspection and improvement of agricultural feeder roads.

Nzanzu Kasivita has essentially initiated the rehabilitation of fifty kilometers of road connecting the cities of Kibanda and Kasindi through the Lume Rugetsi and Masambo, Ruwenzori districts in the Beni territory of the DRC. This work is funded by the German Government.

In the western part of the Beni territory, the Minister approved the Kyatsaba-Mabalako road in the sector of Canteen in Beni-Mbau. Here the work was completed by the German NGO ‘Agro Action’ with funding from the American Agency for International Development (USAID).

Free distribution of coffee seedlings

This was for the benefit of farmers in the localities of Beni-Mbau, Ruwenzori and Bashu, aiding also the communities of Canteen, Mbau, Mamove, Makisabo, Kanyatsi, Karuruma and Vuhovi. This campaign, made possible by the Central Government of the DRC, then extended further to the territories of Lubero, specifically in the towns of Kirumba Mighobwe and Buhoyo-Kazaroho.

Approximately one million, two hundred thousand seedlings will be distributed throughout North Kivu for the recovery of the essential coffee growing industry, including the Arabica (coffee highlands) and Robusta (coffee lowland) varieties. These two varieties are currently being used to test those that are supposed to resist the Trachéomychose / CWD fungal disease.

As a result of Mr Nzanzu Kasivita’s recent findings, measures were put in place in Butungera Vuhovi (Bashu) and Musienene, Lubero to highlight the proposed techniques for fighting the bacterial wilt disease, this in order to strengthen the essential agriculture industry in North Kivu.

Sylvain Muyali

Sylvain Muyali is a Journalist, Photographer and Filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has reported previously for the Associated Press and his words and images can also be found at ‘Vivons Positivement‘

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