Agriculture: Calling for training market gardeners in the use of fertilizers

Kinshasa, July 20^th, 2025 (CPA).– An appeal was launched on Sunday at the Ministry of Agriculture for the training of market gardeners in the use of fertilizers at the Tswenge/N’sele agricultural site in the municipality of Masina, east of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the CPA has learned from administrative sources. ‘We are appealing to the Minister of Agriculture to train market gardeners in the use of chemical fertilizers and other products to make production more profitable,’ said Steve Samba Bikwela, president of the Tswenge/N’sele agricultural site. « It is important to understand that each fertilizer for market gardening has a specific duration before harvest. Not all of us are able to read the instructions for proper use. Ongoing training can spare the population from consuming food containing chemicals, » he said.  In addition, Steve Samba said that of the 6,000 hectares of the site, market gardeners only use 39%. Another 61% (3,660 hectares) has been used for rice cultivation since 1970 and remains in Viège. Only the Tswenge N’sele site can feed the entire city of Kinshasa with rice without external input, as well as various vegetables.  He believes that this agricultural area is neglected by the authorities responsible for managing the agricultural sector. ‘We have remained the largest agricultural site in Kinshasa since the expropriation of the N’djili (Secomaf) site. We are even entitled to financial assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture,’ said Steve Samba.  However, some experts believe that the intensive use of chemical fertilizers can harm biodiversity. The abundance of nutrients in the soil promotes the growth of certain plant species at the expense of others, thus causing an ecological imbalance. The addition of organic fertilizers to the soil helps prevent soil depletion. ACP/