MabeleAgric

The product. The customer. The producer. This is the cycle that we need to optimize in Africa. The more we optimise it. The more we #empower local value chains. The more we reduce our imports dependency. At MabeleAgric, we want to empower our #woman retailers. They are the backbone of our company, but also of the whole #agriculture value chain. Given that they are the middleman between consumers, producers and other actors, focus on them, will cause ripples throughout the #foodsystem. That's why we take the time to talk to them and figure out the best support system.

"DRC producers can beat #chicken #imports: WITHOUT government intervention" 90% of chicken consumed in #DRC is imported. DRC spend $270 million in imported chickens (underestimation FAO). Local chicken remains uncompetitive and more expensive than imported one (Wageningen University & Research 2022). Chicken availability in DRC low. Congolese consume 2.4 kg per year, 3 times less than recommended by World Health Organization. The chicken value chain is broken in DRC. But to fix it, we DO NOT NEED #government #subsidies to local producers nor #taxes to importers. In fact, Picture #1 and #2 shows the price of whole chicken in supermarket. A 1.3 kg conditioned chicken cost 6.36$. Local chickens are sold bigger at 1.7 kg, which will be equivalent to 8.32 $. Now can a local producer produce chicken of 1.7 kg at 8.32$? YES.! Under congolese growing conditions (and despite high #feed cost in DRC), to produce, condition, package, freeze and market it chicken; a local producer will spend a total of 5.5$ to 6$ and could sell it chicken from 7$ to 8.3$. Instead of the government, we must focus on producers. To beat imports Congolese producers must learn to produce efficiently: 1. They must better understand numbers behind their business. How will salaries and overheads impacts your business? 2. They must better grasp their production techniques. Is cheap feed really "cheap"? 3. They must finally acknowledge that chicken is a small margin business. A margin of 1.5 $/chicken is sufficient. Do not need 4 $/chicken. USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program, Feed the Future, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), EquityBCDC, MabeleAgric

"DRC producers can beat #chicken #imports: WITHOUT government intervention" 90% of chicken consumed in #DRC is imported. DRC spend $270 million in imported chickens (underestimation FAO). Local chicken remains uncompetitive and more expensive than imported one (Wageningen University & Research 2022). Chicken availability in DRC low. Congolese consume 2.4 kg per year, 3 times less than recommended by World Health Organization. The chicken value chain is broken in DRC. But to fix it, we DO NOT NEED #government #subsidies to local producers nor #taxes to importers. In fact, Picture #1 and #2 shows the price of whole chicken in supermarket. A 1.3 kg conditioned chicken cost 6.36$. Local chickens are sold bigger at 1.7 kg, which will be equivalent to 8.32 $. Now can a local producer produce chicken of 1.7 kg at 8.32$? YES.! Under congolese growing conditions (and despite high #feed cost in DRC), to produce, condition, package, freeze and market it chicken; a local producer will spend a total of 5.5$ to 6$ and could sell it chicken from 7$ to 8.3$. Instead of the government, we must focus on producers. To beat imports Congolese producers must learn to produce efficiently: 1. They must better understand numbers behind their business. How will salaries and overheads impacts your business? 2. They must better grasp their production techniques. Is cheap feed really "cheap"? 3. They must finally acknowledge that chicken is a small margin business. A margin of 1.5 $/chicken is sufficient. Do not need 4 $/chicken. USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program, Feed the Future, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), EquityBCDC, MabeleAgric

#Irrigation for year-round #farming. The biggest lie in #agriculture in #DRC is seasonality: "you can only plant maize/cassava during the rainy season". Well, we are installing #drip irrigation to produce maize during the dry season. The lie, was fueled by lack of access to the right agricultural technologies. Cause in a country with high rainfall; rivers all over; warm weathers; and plenty of soil. Food production must be year-round. And this can only be achieved through irrigation (International Water Management Institute (IWMI)) On top, irrigation technologies enable to increase #productivity, stabilise #yields and reduce agricultural related risk (International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)). It is in fact, the prerequisite for agripreneurs to gain the trust of financial institutions (EquityBCDC). Thus, MabeleAgric, we are beating the odds and transforming the #food system by making food available year round (FAO). Maxime Nzita Nganga Di Mavambu, Dr M., PHILIPPE NGWALA, ANADEC RDC

Why I will spend my last penny on #africanleafyvegetables in #Kinshasa: it is a whooping #290millionUSD #market. Congolese love vegetables. We have some of the most diverse diets on earth, counting more than 15 leafy vegetables: #cassava, sweet potato, #amaranthus, African nightshade, malabar spinach, etc. Cassava covers about 35% of the vegetables market. With an average consumption of 23 g per day per Capita, Kinshasa's 20 million inhabitants consume about 164 million kg per year. Given the price of 0.5 $/kg, this equates a market of $83 Million. When we take into consideration the remaining vegetables, this number rises up to more than 290 million USD. So believe us, we want stop till we fill this number. On top, leafy vegetables enable us to beat malnutrition with the least ressources. And it allows the agrifood system to become resilient. MabeleAgric has one goal, become the The Coca-Cola Company of leafy vegetables in DRC. The leafy vegetables section of supermarkets must become the #MabeleAgric section. We want and we will disrupt this whole value: production, transport, quality. packaging, sales point, cooperative of woman retailers, etc. Dr M., Maxime Nzita Nganga Di Mavambu, EquityBCDC, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Fonds de Garantie de l'Entrepreneuriat au Congo - FOGEC, ANADEC RDC, ANAPI-RDC,

#BSF, one technologie that could #transform the whole #livestock sector #DRC. In the following week, we will talk about the challenges related to the livestock industry in DRC: import dependent, low protein consumption and rampant malnutrition, low profitability of smallholders coupled with high failure rate, and high production cost. Then we will highlight how one technologie could solve everything : the black soldier fly https://lnkd.in/dGKzRSzW

The leaves are not shining. It is the water from our rainhose irrigation system. Yes, we innovate at every step of our production system. Our aim has never changes: we want to become the the biggest supplier of African leafy vegetables in Africa.