Kinshasa, April 16th, 2026 (CPA).– The techniques to increase the cassava production have been explained to farmers on Thursday during a workshop held in the eastern part of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a view to boosting the production of this crop. “The stems destined to the plantation must be taken from plants aged 10 to 12 months, then stored in the shade for 2 to 5 days before being replanted. This allows them to germinate more quickly than when they are planted freshly cut in the field, thereby increasing production,” has declared Pierrot Nzudi, an agricultural engineer. “It is crucial to use healthy cuttings of improved, disease-resistant varieties with 3 to 5 nodes, as well as to prepare the soil correctly (loosening and drainage), whilst maintaining a density of 10,000 plants per hectare, ensuring soil fertility and regular weeding,” he has added. According to this agricultural engineer, it is advisable to score the stem on the side with a knife, then push the scored part into the soil, ensuring that two-thirds of the cutting is buried in the soil whilst keeping the remaining third above ground.
The cutting can also be placed horizontally in the soil. However, training remains the only way to build the capacity of professionals working in the agricultural sector, he has concluded.