Market gardeners and market gardening areas in Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo)

Abstract

Population growth in Congolese cities poses several problems between each of them and the supply of urban food. To fight against unemployment or underemployment, practice market gardening. However, the supply of urban dwellers is ensured by intra-urban and peri-urban and even rural production areas. How are market gardening activities organized in Pointe-Noire? What are the production systems, their spatialization, their constraints, their dynamics, etc.? The study to review the state of the market gardening activity in Pointe-Noire. It was conducted from 2015 to 2017 among 170 market gardeners, or 13.44% of the total number of market gardeners chosen according to their presence in the field at the time of registration, their availability and the location of their sites in the study area. This survey was supplemented by a documentary study. The results are displayed in the four districts: Lumumba (6%), Loandjili (18%), Mongo-Mpoukou (35%) and Ngoyo (41%). Market gardening has been an activity practiced for over 50 years by non-natives; sites in the process of exploitation are being created with a maximum duration of 20 years and in the course of regression. They are mostly men (57%), very old with an average of 51 years, without permanent renewal. They are educated and are heads of households. The areas exploited vary according to the geographical location of the site and the majority of the farms which vary between 800 m² and 2000 m² and are in secure tenure.