Kinshasa, May 5th, 2025(CPA) -The process of formulating the national irrigation development strategy was launched by the Minister of Agriculture at the opening ceremony of the workshop held on Monday in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘The Ministry in charge of Agriculture and Food Security and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have jointly developed the project to formulate a national irrigation development strategy for the DRC. I therefore urge you to make all the necessary contributions for sustainable agriculture at this time of climate change. Wishing you every success in your work, I solemnly declare open the workshop to draw up the national strategy for the development of irrigation in the DRC’, said Mr Mutshail Mutomb Grégoire, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security. He emphasized that this two-day workshop was an opportunity for experts to carry out an in-depth diagnosis of the irrigation sector, which would contribute to the process of drawing up the national strategy to promote sustainable management of water resources for the agricultural sector. Minister Mutshail said that the agricultural sector was perfectly in line with the Head of State’s vision, which advocates the return of the soil to the subsoil. ‘This is a sector that is driving economic growth and emergence, because it enables us to increase agri-food production, restore food and nutritional security, and reduce insecurity and poverty in rural areas, while contributing to economic growth’, he said.
The irrigation rate is below 1%
The Minister of State in charge of Agriculture in the middle
FAO Deputy Representative Ibrahim Abdoul Nasser noted in his speech that the DRC has over 80 million hectares of arable land, of which barely 10% is exploited, and has one of the densest water networks in the world. However, the irrigation rate remains extremely low, at less than 1% of cultivated land. This, he said, is a strategic paradox for a country that aspires to self-sufficiency in food and the development of its agricultural value chains. This structural deficit in irrigation infrastructure undermines national agricultural performance, increases the vulnerability of small producers and severely limits the possibilities for diversification, sustainable intensification and marketing of produce, he deplored. Mr Ibrahim Abdoul stressed that the FAO is firmly committed to the principle of ‘Zero Hunger’, which embodies the unreserved commitment made by all Member States of the United Nations to combat food insecurity and eradicate poverty in all its forms. This project is in line with this principle, he insisted.
FAO in favour of a strategic framework
The FAO deputy representative also indicated that the organization had responded favorably to the ministry’s request concerning the urgent need to provide the country with a strategic document designed to contribute to the development of agriculture through the development of irrigation in order to reduce dependence on imports of basic foodstuffs. As part of this process, he said, the project plans to build the technical capacity of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, including other partner ministries, in geographic information systems (GIS), agricultural water management and environmental assessment. Mr Ibrahim Abdoul Nasser praised the Ministry’s commitment and efforts to develop agriculture and industry in order to ensure the structural transformation of the economy and create decent, well-paid jobs in the DRC. For him, this project represents a structured response from the FAO, underlining that these meetings are an historic opportunity to provide the country with a modern, structured and inclusive strategic framework for the development of irrigation. This will not only help to boost the productivity and resilience of the agricultural sector, but also generate employment, reduce inequalities and improve the country’s balance of trade. To this end, the FAO reiterates its full readiness to pursue this strategic partnership with the Congolese government and stakeholders in the sector, so that this strategy becomes a real lever for agricultural and economic transformation in the DRC. The general aim of the workshop, which closes on Tuesday, is to inform stakeholders about the content of the project, the priorities for action and the implementation strategy, as well as the mobilization for implementation. Specifically, the aim is to raise awareness of the project’s logical framework among national and provincial authorities and stakeholders, to present the institutional arrangements and implementation strategy for the project’s activities, to gather input from stakeholders on the activities and implementation strategy, to mobilize the various stakeholders in order to secure their commitment, and finally to carry out a diagnostic analysis of the irrigation sub-sector in the DRC. ACP/