For decades, farmers in the Bouenza Department in southern Republic of Congo relied heavily on subsistence agriculture. Armed with hoes and cultivating small plots of cassava or groundnuts, they struggled to produce enough to feed their families. Low yields and a lack of equipment severely limited the development prospects of rural communities.
"If we compare this to what we used to do before, it is like night and day," recalls Sandrine Mobakou, a member of the "Bokosongosite" association in the Ngolonga Protected Agricultural Zone in Bouenza Department.
Against a backdrop of gathering climate change impacts, this reality has begun to evolve owing to the Integrated Agricultural Value Chains Development Project (PRODIVAC). With €73.2 million (CFAF 48 billion) in funding from the African Development Bank Group, the project strengthens food security and accelerates agricultural transformation in the country's departements of Pool, Plateaux, Bouenza and Niari.
"The objective of PRODIVAC is to strengthen agricultural production, develop local entrepreneurship and improve the capacities of young people and institutions," explains Célestine Mengue Medou, agriculture portfolio expert at the African Development Bank Liaison Office in the Republic of Congo.
The project has also received an $8 million grant from the Climate Investment Funds' (CIF) Forest Investment Program, aimed at integrating environmental sustainability and climate resilience criteria into agricultural development. The Forest Investment Program has already benefited more than 39,000 people in rural areas.
The project, which invests in skills development, has trained nearly 600 young people in new agricultural technologies, helping foster a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.
For Pierre Yves Kibamba, president of the "La Semence" group in Loudima, the training programmes represent a valuable opportunity to pass on knowledge within rural communities.
In the Ngolonga Protected Agricultural Zone (ZAP) in Bouenza, the project's impact is already visible. Tractors and seeders have replaced hoes and machetes, signalling a shift toward agricultural mechanisation. Producers also benefit from inputs and improved seeds aimed at increasing yields and strengthening resilience to climate shocks.
The project has been extended by an additional two years through 2027 and is ultimately expected to benefit more than 50,000 rural producers through the dissemination of new technologies and improved agricultural practices. Cultivation of yellow maize and market gardening are now creating new economic opportunities for local producers.
"In agriculture, to develop a profitable activity, you need to be able to produce at scale and have suitable equipment," notes PRODIVAC coordinator Marcel Nzemba.
For Joseph Mouanda, president of the Ngolonga ZAP (protected agricultural zone), the changes are tangible. His group cultivated half a hectare of peppers, generating nearly $16,000 (CFAF 9.8 million) in revenue each season, enabling him to finance his child's studies abroad.
Nzambi Basile, president of the "Maboko na Ntoto" group, says his farm has expanded from 4 to 15 hectares, with maize yields reaching around four tonnes per hectare. "PRODIVAC provides inputs and the fields are ploughed free of charge," he said.
Beyond increasing incomes, the project also promotes financial inclusion through the opening of bank accounts for producers. Kimbassa Alésia Michaelle Nguimbi says this development enabled her to open her own shop, reflecting growing economic autonomy.
This momentum addresses a major national challenge: reducing food dependency while strengthening resilience to climate change. With a predominantly urban population and an agricultural sector that still faces significant challenges, strengthening local production remains a strategic priority for the Republic of Congo.
For the country's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Paul Valentin Ngobo, the ambition is clear: "Our objective is to reach 20,000 hectares of cultivated maize and to produce seeds locally from 2027."
Through the expansion of cultivated areas, the establishment of storage facilities, and the strengthening of agricultural extension services, the Republic of the Congo is continuing its efforts toward greater food sovereignty.
In Ngolonga, Loudima, and other project intervention areas, agriculture is gradually becoming a driver of economic and social transformation, bringing renewed hope to rural communities and to the country's future.
