Republic of the Congo

Seed sector in the Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo currently does not have a national seed policy. However, a regional project is being established to harmonization seed policy in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community area. Since the agricultural sector is embryonic, there is no national catalog of plant species and varieties. For now, a seed law is being drafted and will be submitted to the national assembly.

The country gets support from the Food and Agriculture Organization through the Project to Support the Development of the National Seed Plan. This project create opportunities for the private seed sector in the Republic of the Congo and for agriculture in the country more generally.

Small-scale producers at the grassroots level carry out almost 95% of crop production.

Since the end of state-owned enterprises with the structural adjustment programs of the 1990s, the agricultural sector has mainly been based on traditional practices. The private sector’s involvement in the rural sector is limited and mainly involves selling vegetable seeds.

Pre-basic seeds for cereals, such as rice and maize, are produced only by the L’Institut National de Recherche Agronomique and further multiplied by the Centre National de Semences Améliorées. Breeding and production as well as seed marketing are also in the early stages of development.

Observations

Seven index companies sell seeds in the Republic of the Congo, but Technisem is the only one that accompanies its sales activities with extension services, and it is also the sole company with a testing location in the country. No index company has a breeding location in the country.

There no index company with seed production activities in the Republic of the Congo, though other national seed companies (not included in the index) do produce seed in the country.

The Republic of the Congo is one of few countries in the region where no seed-producing cooperatives have been identified.