Kinshasa, January 20th, 2026 (CPA). – An increase of 22% in the prices of certain agricultural seeds, particularly Simbande peppers, has been observed on Tuesday in the markets of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), rising from FC 207,000 to FC 253,000, CPA has noticed during a round of inspections.
« The price of agricultural seeds, such as Simbande peppers, which has risen from FC 207,000 to FC 253,000, and Caribbean tomatoes, previously sold at FC 64,400, is currently trading at FC 69,000, while Roma tomatoes have risen from FC 36,800 to FC 45,000 between November 2025 and January 2026, » has declared Nehemie Nkunga, manager and salesperson at the Zigida market, located in the north of the city of Kinshasa. ‘These varieties have not been sufficiently supplied to the market.
The two main suppliers that supply the large markets have taken advantage of this scarcity to raise prices,’ he has added. Mr Nkunga has indicated he did not know whether the decision to raise prices came directly from foreign suppliers or local distributors in Kinshasa, but the fact is that prices have indeed increased. He has explained that this situation is also linked to the law of supply and demand, which is particularly pronounced between November and January, a period during which demand for agricultural seeds increases significantly. Regarding the origin of the products, the Caraïbes tomato and Simbande pepper seeds come mainly from France, while the Roma tomato seeds are imported from Belgium via European companies that supply local distributors. According to him, despite this increase, sales remain relatively stable, particularly for Simbande peppers and tomatoes, which are very appreciated by the vegetable growers. ‘The price of peppers has risen to around US$110, which is nearly US$20 more than before, but customers continue to buy because of the quality of the product,’ has specified Mr Nkunga.