Zimbabwe’s leading seed producer, Seed Co Limited, is in discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to supply agricultural inputs to the Central African country.

A delegation from Haut-Lomami Province in the DRC, led by the Provincial Commissioner for Communication and Government Spokesperson, Mwepu Gervais Nday, visited Harare to finalise an agreement covering a range of vegetable, maize, and wheat seeds, among others.

Speaking at an event organised by ZimTrade on Monday, Nday said the visit presented an opportunity to strengthen trade relations between Zimbabwe and the DRC in the agricultural sector.

He explained that Haut-Lomami Province offers significant investment opportunities due to major strengths in sectors such as mining, agro-pastoral activities, energy, tourism, and infrastructure.

Seed Co Chief Executive Officer Felistus Ndawi said the company had participated in a delegation that visited Lubumbashi in May. Following that meeting, Congolese officials were invited to visit Seed Co operations to view the company’s crop and vegetable seed offerings.

She added that two delegations from Kolwezi and Lubumbashi provinces had already attended field demonstration days, and the current visit was a follow-up.

The Congolese delegation expressed strong enthusiasm for the partnership, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on grain imports. The DRC currently imports large volumes of maize, soybeans, and vegetables from various countries, but Seed Co offers products that could be grown locally, including a wide range of vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, tomatoes, and onions—helping to save foreign currency.

ZimTrade Operations Director Similo Nkala said the initiative was intended to diversify Zimbabwe’s exports and reduce reliance on South Africa, which accounts for 45% of Zimbabwe’s exports, while targeting high-potential markets such as the DRC.