To what extent is there still a (knowledge) network around legumes and nitrogen fixation active in your country?
| Farmers are responding to a high demand for soyabeans in the region, especially as there are large soya processing plants located in neighbouring countries Rwanda (Plant Mont Meru) and Uganda (Mukwano) who come to buy soyabeans from farmers in the territory of the DRC. There are also some initiatives with the small processing units (soyaflour; biscuits; cake); feed for livestock; fish ponds with the soya constitutes a large part. |
Carrying the bean harvest home |
To what extent are private sector and/or NGOs still selling/using/promoting “N2Africa technologies”? Can farmers readily access seeds, inoculants, legume-specific fertilizers?
Some USAID-funded organizations are working on the soyabean value chain in the region of East of DRC, which some farmers organizations have worked and collaborated with N2Africa and who have applied the technologies. The problem has always been the access to seed of good quality as there are no functional seed companies. There is also no company that produces or sells inoculum, nor are public services involved in the production of seeds or inoculum. Access to fertilizer remains a problem – the price is high due to the cost of importing.
Are there any interesting new developments taking place around legumes and nitrogen fixation?
Several initiatives want to continue with the achievements of N2Africa in DRC. The Consultative Committee on Nitrogen Biological Fixation is working with an NGO – the Association for the Promotion of Development (APD). They are working on a project of continuity of N2Africa with the National Ministry of Agriculture through its specialized service SENAFIC (Service National des Fertilisants et Intrants Connexes) with the objectives of producing and disseminating organic fertilizers through the outputs of the N2Africa project. In fact, this organization made contact with companies that have shown interest. SENAFIC want to build on the scientific advances of N2Africa in the field of organic fertilizers and to be able to duplicate the results of N2Africa in west of DR Congo because the project had operated only east of the DRC.
Jeanmarie Sanginga, Country Coordinator DRC