The government of the south-eastern mining province of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has lifted the export ban imposed on 16 local mining companies.
The decision had been taken as a response to the non-implementation of an order requiring all mining firms operating in the area to tend a 500-hectare field to help boost agriculture.
Barthelemy Mumba Gama, the provincial Fisheries, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry Minister, on Wednesday made the announcement at the end of a meeting between the Governor of the region and the managers of the companies targeted by the measure.
According to the same source, the lifting of the ban is the result of consultations between the provincial authority and the mining companies’ officials, who promised to provide immediate material and technical support to local farmers, pending the next farming season during which, they will get more involved in the revival of farming activities in the region.
The Governor and the companies’ managers also agreed to meet on a regular basis to assess the results of those mining companies’ technical assistance to farmers.
Katanga, with a population of one million people, has an annual deficit of one million tons of maize, which is the area’s staple food. This deficit is made up by imports, mainly from Zambia.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
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