DRC: breeding cockchafers recommended as a way to combat unemployment

Kinshasa, February 25^th, 2025 (CPA). – Breeding of cockchafers and the cultivation of mushrooms have been recommended as solutions to combat unemployment at the close of a training course on agriculture and livestock farming organised in Lubumbashi (Haut Katanga Province in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo), CPA has learned on Wednesday from an association source. ‘We recommend breeding cockchafers and growing mushrooms to combat unemployment. We have demonstrated that modern agriculture can be practised by everyone. The trainees have been taught on simple and effective techniques for producing food and generating income,’ has declared engineer Pierre Ngongo, president of the Association of Fish Farmers of Congo (APC). Regarding the production of cockchafers, he has explained that it requires several essential steps, including the preparation of a substrate based on fertile soil mixed with organic matter, installation in bins or bags, and the introduction of larvae or the collection of eggs in the natural environment. A regular monitoring, including watering to maintain humidity, is also necessary until harvest. In addition, the participants have been initiated into mushroom cultivation at home in order to acquire practical skills, particularly in the production of cockchafers (mpose), activities that are accessible even with limited resources. ‘We have prepared a substrate (sawdust, straw or corn cobs), which we sterilise before introducing the mycelium, then store it in a clean, dark environment. Harvesting can take place a few weeks after incubation,’ has explained Mr Ngongo. He has, moreover, encouraged the learners to quickly put their acquired knowledge into practice, starting on a small scale while remaining committed and rigorous. He has also invited the population to join their organisation, emphasising that it offers a learning environment, project opportunities and on-going technical support. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he has called on the relevant authorities to provide more support for agricultural and fish farming initiatives, believing that they are an important lever for job creation and poverty reduction in DRC. He has specified that at the end of this session, a technical follow-up for participants is planned, as well as the implementation of pilot projects and the organisation of other training courses in several provinces of the country. Finally, the organisers have thanked the participants for their commitment and encouraged them to become actors of development, reminding them that ‘the future belongs to those who work the land with intelligence’.