Milk and cream market in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Earlier Report Observations

Between 2018 and 2020, the milk and cream market in the DRC was characterized by high dependence on imports, with local production insufficient to meet demand. The entry of new local players into natural yogurt production and the development of dairy cooperatives in North Kivu, supported by public funding, began to increase domestic output from 7,717 t in 2018 to 8,371 t in 2020. This growth in local production partially offset imports, which fell sharply in 2019 before a slight recovery, leading to a market volume that dipped to 10,672 t in 2019 then rose to 11,242 t in 2020.

From 2021 to 2023, continued government financing for dairy cooperatives and the launch of new product lines by local brands like Yogo strengthened domestic production, which reached 9,832 t by 2023. In 2022, despite soaring global dairy prices, government measures to abolish VAT on certain staple foods, including powdered milk, lowered consumer prices in Kinshasa. This policy, alongside the mandatory adoption of Codex Alimentarius standards for quality control, contributed to a sharp market expansion to 13,410 t. By 2023, reinforced trade and fiscal policies promoting local processing helped further increase production while reducing imports, stabilizing the market volume at 13,421 t.

In 2024, imports of milk and cream rose to 5,872 t, indicating ongoing reliance on foreign supplies to complement domestic production, although total market volume data for the year is not yet available.

Production milk and cream in Democratic Republic of the Congo

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of milk and cream, 2017-2020

World map of production of milk and cream, 2017-2020

Milk and cream production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has grown for the third year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 8 371 tonnes, marking a 5.2% increase from 2019. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production rose by 12%, with an average annual growth rate of 3.9%.

Annual dynamics of production in Democratic Republic of the Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports milk and cream from Democratic Republic of the Congo

Exports in kind, t

Milk and cream exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have fallen for the third consecutive year. In 2020, exports dropped to 0.1 tonnes, a sharp decline of 44.6% compared to the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, exports plummeted by 99.9%, which translates to an annualized decrease of 88.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Democratic Republic of the Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the export structure for milk and cream was heavily concentrated on Rwanda, which accounted for 77.3% of total shipments. The remaining volume was distributed among other trading partners.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Democratic Republic of the Congo in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Milk and cream exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have declined for the third year in a row. In 2020, export value reached 0.2 thousand US dollars, down by 2.4% from the year before. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports decreased by 99.6%, with an average annual decline of 83.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Democratic Republic of the Congo in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Rwanda and Uganda together accounted for 89.0% of total export value. The rest was spread across other destinations, each with smaller individual shares.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Democratic Republic of the Congo in value, 2017-2020

Imports milk and cream to Democratic Republic of the Congo

Imports in kind, t

After two years of decline, milk and cream imports into the Democratic Republic of the Congo increased. In 2020, imports rose to 2 872 tonnes, up by 5.6% year-on-year. However, over the full 2017-2020 period, imports fell by 43.9%, with an average annual decrease of 17.5%. The lowest import volume was recorded in 2019 at 2 718 tonnes, which also saw the largest drop of 30.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Democratic Republic of the Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the key sources for milk and cream imports in volume terms were South Africa (33.5% of imports), France (19.6%), and Belgium (13.0%). Together, these three countries made up 66.2% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Democratic Republic of the Congo in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Milk and cream imports into the Democratic Republic of the Congo have decreased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, import value stood at 1 690 thousand US dollars, a significant reduction of 13.5% compared to the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, imports dropped by 75.9%, equivalent to an annualized decline of 37.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Democratic Republic of the Congo in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017-2020, France (23.4% of import value), South Africa (17.9%), and Belgium (13.6%) were the main markets for milk and cream imports in value terms. Combined, they represented 54.9% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Democratic Republic of the Congo in value, 2017-2020