DRC: Kinshasa invests in food sovereignty with a national network of silos
The Democratic Republic of Congo is undertaking a transformative project for its food security by launching the construction of a national network of grain silos. The Public Investment Plan for 2026–2028 allocates 14.5 billion Congolese francs (approximately 6.6 million USD) for this strategic storage infrastructure.
This initiative is part of the General Strategic Reserve (RSG) policy, which aims to stabilize the market for essential goods and protect household purchasing power.
The storage infrastructure will help regulate supply, stabilize prices across the country, and reduce vulnerability to seasonal and speculative fluctuations.
The RSG has already demonstrated its effectiveness during a pilot intervention in September 2025 in the maize market in Kinshasa.
At that time, the institution sold 25 kg bags of maize flour at 35,000 Congolese francs; a price significantly lower than the prevailing market rates, which ranged between 40,000 and 63,000 francs depending on quality.
This price-regulation operation, carried out in several markets across the capital, aimed to ease pressure on household budgets and counter inflationary trends.
It served as a precursor to the broader strategy that the national silo network will deploy nationwide.
The establishment of this storage infrastructure marks a major step toward food sovereignty in the DRC.
It will enable the country to better manage its grain resources, secure food supplies for its population, and build a more resilient national market in the face of regional and international food crises.
Gilbert FOTSO
