Agriculture - Republic of the Congo
Congo is a part of the Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance, which focuses on improving bean crop yield despite climate change.
A multi-million hectare land deal allowing South Africans to farm in the Republic of Congo is in the works.
The Republic of Congo has begun a new “farming village” program to boost food self-sufficiency. It houses 40 families from different regions of the country.
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Total Area: 342,000 sq km
Land Area: 341,500 sq km Water Area: 500 sq km Climate description: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator Terrain description: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin Arable Land Use: 1.46% Permanent Crop Land Use: 0.18% Irrigated Land: 20 sq km Total Renewable Water Resources: 832 cu km Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 0.05 cu km/yr Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 13.99 cu m/yr Natural Hazards description: seasonal flooding Environmental Current Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation Total Labor Force: 2.89 million % of Labor Force in Agriculture: NA Agricultural Products description: cassava (manioc, tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products |
The failure of early food relief programs to increase food production means that every year the country has to import about 30% of its food which includes meat products, cereals, flour and starch, vegetables, oils and fats at a cost of £120m per annum out of the budget of an already poor country.
Congo has about 10 million Hectares of arable land but only uses about 2% of this land. Agriculture accounts for about 12% of its GDP. The Government under Sassou is committed to making the change to e-agriculture, and it starting by training Congo's mostly computer illiterate population.
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