Engagement with the Congolese government will be cautious. The challenge now is to find the best way to tap into the wealth of the country in the short-term. The purpose of the session was to discuss the overall agricultural situation, options for restoring the agricultural sector, both the public and commercial sides, and next steps that might be taken to develop a strategy for the sector. The agricultural sector. Most of the farmers practice subsistence agriculture and grow cassava, beans, plantains and corn for their own consumption.
Any surplus is sold on markets for cash.
Coffee, palm oil trees, cacao and rubber are the major cash crops. There is a high agricultural production potential, but the reality is low production and malnutrition. In some instances, farmers complain about their crops getting stolen and the lack of a system to protect them. The major constraints to agriculture production in Congo are lack of access to markets and to credit. These same impediments were current and discussed 20 years ago.