DRC secures US$25M UK-backed facility to boost cacao, coffee exports
For cacao and coffee producers, this investment is transformative.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – The Democratic Republic of Congo has secured a US$25 million financing mechanism backed by the United Kingdom to expand exports of cacao, coffee, rice, cassava, corn, and palm oil.
The initiative, implemented through Rawbank, the country’s largest commercial bank, is designed to reduce lending risks and improve access to credit for agricultural producers.
For cacao and coffee producers, this investment is transformative. Bank loans to agriculture account for just 0.8% of total bank lending in the DRC, leaving farmers chronically underfunded.
However, the UK-backed facility mitigates risks associated with climate shocks, lack of collateral, and poorly structured value chains, enabling farmers to access credit for orchard rehabilitation and post-harvest processing.
The impact on cacao is already significant. In 2024, Congolese agricultural exports generated US$519 million in revenue, four times the previous year’s figure. Cacao benefited from sharp price increases, while Coffee and natural rubber were the leading export commodities.
For coffee growers, the financing offers similar potential. Improved access to credit enables investment in processing equipment, drying facilities, and quality-control systems that command premium prices in specialty markets.
In addition, agricultural export earnings are at their highest level in a decade, though they still account for only 0.4% of total export revenues.
Beyond financing, Kinshasa is strengthening the presence of Congolese agricultural products in Chinese, Emirati, British, and American markets under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This strategic diversification targets trade partners in the Middle East, Asia, and the West.
Nevertheless, the initiative faces challenges, including logistical constraints and security issues in key production zones such as North Kivu. However, the pilot phase spans multiple provinces, including Tshopo, Kongo Central, Mai-Ndombe, Kwilu, and Équateur.
For investors, the UK-backed derisking mechanism shows how development finance can catalyze private-sector lending to agriculture.
On the other hand, certification systems for timber have already proven successful, suggesting that similar approaches could unlock premium markets for Congolese cacao and coffee.
The challenge now is to translate this financing into tangible investment in agricultural value chains, transforming the DRC’s vast agricultural potential into a stable pillar of the national economy.
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