Tshisekedi Launches Congo’s Agricultural Revival in Menkao

Quick Links

• A Nation That Forgot Its Fertile Soil

• The Presidential Roadmap

• The Bigger Picture

• From Words to Action

• Voices from the Ground

Introduction

For decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo was known more for its mineral riches than for the fertile soil that covers the nation. Despite having more than 80 million hectares of arable land, conflict, mismanagement, and an economy built around the “resource curse” turned the country into a net food importer. Villages once fed themselves with cassava, maize, rice, and beans; today, many rely on imported flour and second‑hand vegetables trucked over broken roads.

On 28 August 2025, a different image emerged. At the agricultural zone of Menkao, roughly 50 kilometres from central Kinshasa, President Félix Tshisekedi inaugurated the 2025–2026 agricultural season. Surrounded by ministers, planters, and farmers, he handed over hundreds of tractors and farming equipment destined for the 26 provinces, symbolising a government willing to invest in rural communities.

In his speech, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Muhindo Nzangi reminded the crowd that the government has allocated 10 % of the national budget to agriculture, meeting the African Union’s Maputo commitment to devote at least one‑tenth of public spending to the sector. The launch was more than a ceremony; it was a declaration that Congo’s soil will finally take “revenge” on the sub‑soil that has dominated its economy

A Nation That Forgot Its Fertile Soil

DR Congo is one of the most fertile countries in Africa. The Bateke Plateau east of Kinshasa, with its endless savannas, once supplied the capital with cassava, maize, and peanuts. But during the years of President Mobutu and the subsequent wars, agriculture was neglected. Farmers lacked credit, seeds, and tools; public extension services collapsed; militia violence scared growers away from their fields. When the men of the Mobondo militia roamed the plateau in 2024-2025, production plummeted and food insecurity rose.

As the country relied more heavily on mining, its nickname shifted from the “breadbasket of Central Africa” to the world’s cobalt warehouse.

This neglect has serious consequences. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, only about 10 million hectares of Congo’s arable land are cultivated, leaving vast potential idle. The International Fund for Agricultural Development notes that nearly 70 % of Congolese households depend on subsistence farming, yet yields are low because of poor inputs and obsolete techniques.

Imported food is expensive in landlocked provinces like Kasai and Maniema, pushing families into debt. It is against this backdrop that Tshisekedi’s agricultural revival should be understood: reclaiming the land is about sovereignty and dignity.

The president’s supporters describe the campaign as the “Revanche du sol sur le sous‑sol,” literally, the soil’s revenge on the sub‑soil. The phrase, echoed by agronomists at the Menkao launch, captures a generational aspiration to reduce dependence on minerals and build prosperity from fields, orchards, and coffee groves.

It also mirrors Tshisekedi’s broader philosophy: that economic diversification, not extractive exports, must underpin national unity and peace.

The Presidential Roadmap

Launching tractors is only the start; the government has a detailed roadmap for transforming agriculture. In Menkao, Minister Nzangi outlined five priorities to guide the agricultural revolution. Though the official list has not yet been published in full, statements from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security highlight the following pillars:

1. Coordination of agricultural initiatives. For years, provincial projects, donor programmes, and private investments have been scattered and redundant. Nzangi is creating an inter‑agency coordination mechanism to align initiatives, share data, and avoid duplication. This coordination is particularly important because the African Development Bank (AfDB) pledged to support Congo’s agriculture, recognising it as one of the largest beneficiaries of the African Development Fund

   
   

2. Research and improved seeds. Many Congolese farmers still plant old seed varieties that yield little and succumb to disease. The ministry plans to relaunch public research institutes to develop and distribute improved seeds. This includes reviving national seed centres, training agronomists, and working with universities to adapt crops to Congo’s diverse agro‑ecological zones.

   
   

3. Accessibility of inputs (fertilisers and pesticides). Fertiliser consumption in Congo is among the lowest in Africa. Nzangi’s roadmap seeks to subsidise fertiliser and pesticide distribution, set up rural agro‑dealer networks, and support local production. During the Menkao ceremony, he emphasised that the availability of seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides is central to boosting yields

   
   

4. Mechanisation and motorisation brigades. Most farmers still rely on hoes and machetes. The government will deploy motorisation brigades, teams equipped with tractors, ploughs, and harvesters that communities can rent at subsidised rates. The dozens of blue tractors lined up in Menkao signalled the start of this mechanisation drive. Rural youth are being trained as tractor operators, mechanics, and machine managers, creating jobs beyond farming.

   
   

   

Valorisation of agricultural agents. Agronomists, extension workers, and inspectors form the backbone of the sector, yet their salaries and status have been low. Nzangi announced a professionalisation programme to provide uniforms, training, and career progression for agricultural agents. According to RTNC’s report, he highlighted the need to valorise agricultural agents and ensure they are respected as professionals

These priorities reflect lessons from previous failures. Past programmes imported equipment that languished for lack of operators or spare parts. Seeds arrived without the training to use them. Inputs were delivered without roads to reach remote farmers. By addressing coordination, research, inputs, mechanisation, and human resources simultaneously, the roadmap aims to build an ecosystem rather than scatter projects.

From Words to Action

The Menkao launch showed that the roadmap is already moving from policy to practice. Beyond speeches, the event featured a symbolic handover of hundreds of tractors to provincial representatives. Long lines of blue tractors with trailers and seed drills stretched along the road, ready to be dispatched to each province. Farmers who had previously tilled with hoes watched as machines promised to reduce labour and expand cultivated land.

The government also announced several immediate measures:

1. Four buses for ministry agents. These vehicles will transport extension officers and inspectors between far‑flung fields, making supervision and training feasible.

   
   

2. Decree on the clothing of agricultural inspectors. Issuing uniforms may seem trivial, but it reflects a push to professionalise the civil service and instil pride among agents who will enforce standards and assist farmers.

   
   

3. Launch of a campaign for perennial crops. Nzangi revealed plans to promote cocoa and coffee, crops with export potential that had been neglected during the mining boom. Seedlings will be distributed and farmers organised into cooperatives to access markets.

   
   

4. Agricultural Development Fund. Perhaps the most transformative measure is the creation of a permanent Agricultural Development Fund. This fund will finance seeds, inputs, and fertilisers predictably, insulating farmers from budgetary fluctuations. During the launch, Nzangi affirmed that the fund will mobilise domestic resources and partner financing, ensuring that the handover of equipment is backed by sustainable funding.

The symbolic distribution of tractors at Menkao was widely shared on social media. Photographs captured President Tshisekedi inspecting equipment alongside Minister Nzangi and farmers, emphasising the tangible nature of the reforms. Rows of machinery waiting to be dispatched to provinces illustrate the scale of investment and the government’s intention to mechanise rural economies.

Voices from the Ground

Policy pronouncements only matter if they change lives. Interviews with farmers and cooperative leaders provide a glimpse into the human impact of Tshisekedi’s reforms.

Marie, a cassava farmer from the Bateke Plateau, attended the launch to witness the tractors. “My parents farmed this land with hoes. When the militias came, we stayed away,” she explained. “Now we see machines and fertiliser. For the first time, I believe we can feed Kinshasa again.”

Jean‑Pierre, leader of a growers’ cooperative in Kwilu Province, recalled years of disappointment. “Politicians promised us tractors before, but none arrived. This time, I saw the keys handed over. We are trained to use them and pay a small fee. With one tractor, ten villages can cultivate quickly.”

A group of youths from Kasai said they were forming a mechanisation brigade. Trained as tractor drivers and mechanics, they will operate equipment and earn income by ploughing others’ fields. “We used to dream of going to the mines in Kolwezi. Now we see a future in agriculture,” one young man said, echoing the government’s message that farming offers dignity and opportunity.

These testimonies illustrate how mechanisation and structured support can restore confidence in agriculture. Yet the farmers also voiced concerns. They worry about the security of roads and the fairness of machinery allocation. They emphasised the need for timely seed delivery and market access. Their voices highlight that reforms must be accompanied by transparent management and continued dialogue.

The Bigger Picture

Tshisekedi’s agricultural revolution cannot be separated from his wider reforms. Since assuming office in 2019, he has sought to break the resource curse by renegotiating mining contracts, combating child labour, and investing in infrastructure.

In January 2024, his government renegotiated the Sicomines agreement with Chinese partners. The original 2008 “minerals‑for‑infrastructure” deal gave Chinese companies a 68 % stake and promised US$3 billion of infrastructure. By 2023, only US$822 million had been invested. The revised contract boosts the infrastructure budget to US$7 billion and requires annual royalties of 1.2 %

This shift has already translated into new roads: Chinese firms broke ground on a 900‑kilometre upgrade of the National 1 road linking Mbuji‑Mayi to the mining hub of Nguba, a project the infrastructure minister celebrated with the phrase “Where the road goes, development follows”. Improved highways will allow farmers to transport cassava, maize, and coffee from rural zones to urban markets and export corridors.

Tshisekedi has also tackled child labour in mines. A Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) introduced in 2023 registered 5,346 children working in artisanal cobalt mines and is providing remediation services. By 2024, the system had identified over 6,200 children and aims to remove them from hazardous work. These reforms reflect a broader agenda: profits from minerals should fund schools and farms, not the exploitation of children.

Linking the soil and the sub‑soil in this way is deliberate. Revenues from responsible mining are being channelled into agriculture and infrastructure. Roads built with mining royalties will carry fertiliser to villages; classrooms built with cobalt revenues will educate the next generation of agronomists; renegotiated contracts will finance irrigation and seed research. In Nzangi’s words, “The Head of State has provided the means. It is now up to us to do our part,” a call for collective responsibility to make the agricultural revolution succeed.

Conclusion

The tractors lined up in Menkao are more than shiny machines; they represent a reversal of fortune for a nation that had forgotten its soil. Under President Tshisekedi, Congo is beginning to invest the fruits of its mineral wealth back into its fields. Mechanisation brigades, improved seeds, accessible fertilisers, and the valorisation of agronomists form the backbone of a strategy to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial production.

The stakes are high. Achieving food sovereignty will strengthen national unity and reduce dependence on imports. Revitalising rural economies will offer alternatives to young people tempted by artisanal mining or migration. And connecting agriculture with responsible mining and infrastructure reforms will ensure that the country’s natural wealth benefits its people. If Menkao becomes the template for provinces across Congo, then the slogan “revanche du sol sur le sous‑sol” will no longer be rhetoric but a lived reality.