The first-ever Congo Agricultural Fair (Grande Foire Agricole du Congo), taking place from 5-15 February 2026 in Bambou-Mingali, 60 kilometres from Brazzaville, is spotlighting efforts to modernise the country's agriculture sector, including the African Development Bank Group's $80.2 million Integrated Agricultural Value Chains Development Project (PRODIVAC).
The Fair, held under the theme "Land for progress, work for unity", is intended to advance the Congolese government's vision of making agriculture a pillar of economic development, food security and job creation. Featuring exhibitions of plant and animal products, demonstrations of modern agricultural technologies (mechanical equipment, irrigation, crop management sequences), and seminars showcasing the country's agricultural potential, it brings together representatives of the public and private sectors, agricultural producers, investors, technical and financial partners, and the public.
PRODIVAC aligns with the fair's goals by helping transform Congo's agricultural sector through higher productivity, stronger local processing, and better access to markets. The project focuses on priority value chains--maize, cassava and soy--while supporting producers, cooperatives and agri-food SMEs and creating jobs, particularly for young people and women. At the fair, the PRODIVAC stand showcases early results, including farmer training, equipment distribution to reduce labour burdens and improved seed support to raise yields, highlighting the project's tangible impact.
"The Congo Agricultural Fair shows a clear ambition: to make agriculture an engine of food sovereignty, job creation and inclusive growth," said Léandre Bassolé, Director General of the African Development Bank for Central Africa. "Through PRODIVAC, we are providing solid support for this vision through the establishment of structural value chains, from production to processing, that benefit producers, young people and women. The results shown at the PRODIVAC stand reflect the real impact of our engagement with the Congolese government."
"Transformation of the agricultural sector is a long-term project. PRODIVAC is contributing to this dynamic by providing adapted and sustainable solutions, in line with the priorities of the Congolese government and the objectives of the African Development Bank," said Marcel Dieudonné Nzemba, PRODIVAC project coordinator. He also stressed the importance of an integrated and partnership-based approach to ensure that the initiative makes a lasting difference
