At the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday, April 21, 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy, Vital Kamerhe attributed the rise in the price of maize to the low local production of this agricultural product.

Vital Kamerhe noted several exogenous causes for the rise in maize prices in addition to low local production. These include the reduction in Zambian supply and the high cost of importing this commodity from South Africa and the deterioration of the climate in the region. In order to provide a solution to this issue of maize scarcity in the DRC, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy intends to work at the level of the government's economic and financial commission

For his part, the head of government attributed this shortage to the scarcity of this agricultural product in the Eastern part of Africa, which is forcing countries in this region, such as the DRC, to source their supplies from Southern African countries.