(Kinshasa, DR Congo) Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) held the 3rd National Extension Development Committee (NEDC) meeting on 28th August 2019 as a part of the Project entitled Project of “Strengthening the Agricultural Extension System with a New training Center in DRC” funded by a bilateral grant from the Republic of Korea through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The National Extension Development Committee (NEDC) is a Steering Committee at the national level, which has a role of decision makings for the Project. Main stakeholders have attended this meeting, such as KOICA Country Director Dong-ku LEE, the representative for the Minister of Agriculture Charly MUKANDA WA MBULA MASENGO, General Secretary of Agriculture Evariste BUSHABA Bopeming, Deputy Project Manager Il byung Chung and other government officers.
In the meeting, the following four agenda were discussed: (1) follow-up of 2nd NEDC meeting, (2) Project progress, (3) Presentation of study on the improvement of national agricultural system in DRC and Operation plan of National Agricultural Extension Center and (4) Follow-up action plan. KDS with an expert on the agricultural extension system has studied on the current status of national agricultural extension system in DR Congo and has elaborated the consulting report for improved national agricultural extension system and operation plan for NAEC, which were shared with local stakeholders through the 3rd NEDC meeting. All participants formed a common political consensus on the necessity of development of integrated agricultural extension system for national economic and agricultural development. As a follow-up action of the meeting, the Task Force Team for legislation of NAEC has been set up by Ministry of Agriculture in order to draft the ministerial decree for NAEC operation within this year.
KDS with a consortium with World Canaan Farmers’ Movement (WCM) implements this project for 54 months from 2017, under cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) in DRC in order to increase the agricultural productivity of Congolese farmers through establishment of improved agricultural extension system in DRC. The project is composed of (1) Construction and rehabilitation of National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) for Training of Trainers (ToT) and Training of Leaders (ToL), (2) Development of curriculum and textbooks, (3) Consulting on improved national agricultural extension system and legislation of NAEC, (4) Establishment of Center operation plan and capacity building for it, and (5) Implementation of ToT, ToL and technology dissemination projects.
Currently, the project is managed by the cooperation between the headquarter of the Project Management Office (PMO) in Seoul, Korea, and Project Management office in Kinshasa, DRC. Late this year, it is planned to open the NAEC (National Agricultural Extension Center) for capacity building of national extensionists, cooperative leaders and farmers.
