DRC allocates US$18.3 million for rehabilitation of N’Sele agro-industrial complex
The estate has been inactive since January due to financing constraints.
DRC – Congolese authorities have set aside US$18.3 million for the rehabilitation and restart of activities at the Presidential Agro-Industrial Estate of N’Sele, a long-standing agricultural site on the outskirts of Kinshasa intended to supply food to the capital.
According to the government’s three-year public investment programme covering 2026 to 2028 and reviewed by Bankable, the total allocation amounts to about US$19 million [41.8 billion Congolese francs], to be disbursed gradually across the period to revive production at the estate.
Under the investment plan, roughly US$12.2 million [26.89 billion Congolese francs] is earmarked for the purchase of specialised agricultural equipment, while the remaining funds of about US$6.8 million [14.9 billion Congolese francs] are set aside for refurbishing the estate’s pig farming facilities.
Operations halted amid funding gaps
The investment decision follows a shutdown of activities at the N’Sele estate, which, according to statements circulated by local media and attributed to staff representatives, has been closed since January 1, 2026, after running out of funds to sustain operations.
Visual material shared alongside the statements shows deserted poultry sheds and an idle slaughterhouse, indicating a complete halt in processing and production across key areas of the farm.
Employees working in poultry-related units, including hatcheries, chicken houses, and the slaughter facility, have been placed on unpaid leave, according to the same source.
Workers are appealing directly to President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi to intervene and secure the project’s future.
Capacity and background of the estate
During a 2022 visit to the site by the head of state, officials reported that the complex had capacity for more than 18,000 laying hens and included two large poultry houses capable of holding over 9,000 broiler chickens, intended to supply the slaughterhouse on a three-week production cycle.
The Presidential Agro-Industrial Estate of N’Sele was originally established in 1966 during the presidency of Marshal Mobutu, before being revived in 2013 through a public-private partnership involving Israel’s LR Group Limited.
At the time of its relaunch, the project was presented as a vehicle to supply Kinshasa and neighbouring areas with locally produced food while creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for surrounding communities.
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