The World Bank-led Poultry and Aquaculture Development Project (PADeP) in the Republic of Congo took a significant step forward with a pre-appraisal mission conducted in Brazzaville from January 13 to 19, 2025.

The mission, led by Zoumana Bamba, the Central Africa Hub Director of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Dr Christopher Suh, the Regional Coordinator for Central Africa at Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), engaged the World Bank and key stakeholders, assessed challenges and outlined solutions to enhance the poultry and aquaculture sectors.

The primary objective was to conduct a preliminary project assessment and develop a draft Project Appraisal Report. This involved analysing the target sectors, defining roles and responsibilities, designing the institutional structure, investment models, and M&E systems, evaluating environmental and social safeguards, and establishing a roadmap for final project preparation.

The project encompasses five components with a combined budget of $105 million, funded by the International Development Association (IDA) and other contributors.

The components include Strengthening the Agribusiness Ecosystem for Aquaculture and Poultry ($40 million) which focuses on regulatory reforms, capacity-building, infrastructure investments, and financial access; and Enhancing Access to High-Quality and Affordable Inputs ($20 million), which aims to increase domestic feed production, fingerlings, and day-old chicks to reduce import dependency.

The other components are Support to Production and Marketing ($40 million), which promotes sustainable production, market linkages, and climate-smart practices while fostering job creation for women and youth, Contingency Emergency Response, which provides a mechanism for emergency financing in the face of natural disasters or other crises, and Project Management ($5 million) which strengthens project management and M&E capacities.

The mission brought together diverse stakeholders to address critical issues and design solutions for sustainable growth. These included government officials, representatives from the private sector (such as AGRO4, SAKO, SGMP, AQUACONGO), leading poultry companies specialising in Lohman Brown, Ross, and Sasso breeds, NGOs, and farmers.

Key findings from the mission include a lack of technological advancement within the sector due to limited financial resources and a scarcity of quality inputs, such as high-quality seeds and fertilisers, inadequate distribution networks and limited market accessibility, weak policy environments, and reliance on imported seeds of inconsistent quality due a lack of structured seed systems.

To address these, the team proposed expanding financial support mechanisms and improving access to these essential inputs, developing a robust infrastructure to streamline market linkages and improve the flow of goods, and strengthening frameworks through appropriate policy reforms to foster a more conducive environment for growth and development.

Enhancing farmers’ and institutions’ technical and managerial skills was emphasised to ensure long-term sustainable growth and development.

The mission laid the groundwork for future collaboration between IITA, TAAT, and the World Bank regarding IITA’s role in PADeP.

As the project moves towards implementation, the partnerships and strategies developed during this mission will be crucial in transforming the poultry and aquaculture sectors in the Republic of Congo.

With a focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, PADeP aims to create significant opportunities for farmers, enhance food security, and drive economic growth.