Potatoes regain importance in North Kivu, DRCCEFR B1
10 Oct 2025
Adapted from Laura, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Daniel Dan, Unsplash
Potato cultivation is gaining importance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through cooperation between government bodies, NGOs, researchers and farmers. In parts of North Kivu varieties like Lubero and Rutshuru are now a daily food rather than only for festivities. The country produced 101,000 tons in 2018, and potatoes can supply digestible energy for a population of 109 million people.
Production is limited by poor roads and very long journeys: tubers travel to Kisangani (800 km) and Kinshasa (2,000 km), and in rainy seasons a truck can take a month to reach Kisangani, allowing crops to perish en route. Crop diseases such as mildew, bacterial wilt and viral infections also threaten yields.
CERAVEG and Université Catholique du Graben work to replace old, degenerated colonial varieties. Professor Charles Valimunzigha says older types rarely give 10 tons per hectare, while some CERAVEG variants exceed 20 tons per hectare. Seed development begins from over 10,000 hybrid seedlings and only lines with resistance and high yield go to further trials. Farmers who use improved seeds and training report clear gains in production and income.
Difficult words
- potato — a round vegetable, usually brown or yellow.potatoes, potato varieties
- production — the process of making or growing something.
- research — a careful study to find new knowledge.researchers
- agriculture — the practice of farming, growing crops.agricultural
- variety — a type of something that is different.varieties
- sustainability — being able to continue something over time.
- collaboration — working together to achieve a goal.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How can improving potato production affect the local economy?
- What role do farmers play in food security?
- Why is soil health important for agriculture?
- What challenges do researchers face when developing new varieties?
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