WIETC Invests in and Constructs Cassava Planting and Processing Industrial Park in Congo

Empowering Agricultural Modernization in Africa-- WIETC Invests in and Constructs Cassava Planting and Processing Industrial Park in the Republic of Congo 

In recent years, the government of the Republic of Congo has been committed to the development of family farming and modern agriculture, aiming to expand domestic food production and enhance food security. The international community has also provided substantial support.

In November 2016, President Xi Jinping and President Sassou signed a series of bilateral cooperation documents, including enhancing agricultural cooperation between the two countries. In March 2018, the government of the Republic of the Congo issued the 2018-2022 National Development Five-Year Plan, which listed agriculture development and modernization as the priorities, with a budget allocation of 5.8 billion Central African CFA francs for the cassava project. The international food aid organization, the World Food Program, has also included whole cassava flour in its procurement plan list, and hopes to add trace elements such as iron and zinc to the whole cassava flour to address issues like anemia in women and malnutrition in children. In July 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of the Republic of Congo, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Food Program decided to collaborate, making the Republic of the Congo a model country for comprehensively upgrading the cassava value chain.

Project overview

WIETC has deeply rooted itself in the Republic of Congo for more than 20 years and has made significant contributions to the country's economic development. In order to support the agriculture modernization of the country and further give back to the local society, WIETC has established Congo Shengsheng Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. after thorough research, and plans to invest in the construction of cassava planting and processing industrial park in Loudima District, the primary cassava-producing region. This initiative has received high recognition and strong support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of the Republic of Congo, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Congo and the World Food Program Office in the Republic of Congo.

The cassava processing plant invested and constructed by WIETC in the Republic of Congo 

This industrial park mainly covers cassava planting, processing, sales and exports. Its products include cassava flour, cassava chips and related derivative foods. The project is divided into three phases. Phase I is designed with an annual production capacity of 6,000-10,000 tons, requiring 25,000 to 40,000 tons of fresh cassava. Phase II and III will be launched in accordance with the international market conditions. Fresh cassava is sourced from both our 5,500 hectares of self-owned farms and local farmers. Cassava products are mainly supplied to the World Food Program and sold locally in the Republic of Congo, gradually expanding to the markets of neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Social impact 

This project imports fertilizers and other production materials from China, introduces advanced cultivation management techniques, carries out mechanized cassava planting operation, and continuously cultivates and improves cassava varieties, which will greatly improve cassava planting efficiency and yield per unit area, creating a cassava cultivation demonstration base.

Agricultural experts carry out field surveys

The project introduces a fully automatic processing line for cassava products, which is committed to improving cassava processing technology in the Republic of Congo, and helps the country to establish cassava processing technology standards, promoting the transformation of local agricultural production methods into industrial production. At the same time, by adding trace elements such as vitamins, iron and zinc to products, the incidence of anemia in women and malnutrition in children will be greatly reduced.

During the project construction and production process, about 1,000 local rural laborers can be employed. The project’s fresh cassava supply adopts a "company + farmers" model, which significantly motivates local farmers to engage in cassava cultivation, increases their income, curbs the outflow of young people from the rurual areas, drives local economic development, and contribute to maintaining social stability.

Agricultural experts and officials from the Congolese Ministry of Agriculture visit local agricultural cooperatives

Through this project, fresh cassava with a shelf life of 3-5 days will be successfully transformed into cassava products with a shelf life of over 1 year. This will help the government of the Republic of Congo in coping with emergencies such as natural disasters, reducing reliance on imported food, and enhancing national food security.

"Never forget why you started, and your mission can be accomplished." In the fertile land of Africa, WIETC will continue to fulfill its social responsibility, seek value creation, actively give back to society, and contribute to the modernization of agriculture in the Republic of Congo and across Africa.