Tshela, 7 March 2013 – Oil producers in the territories of Lukula and Tshela received four palm oil presses from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo-MONUSCO to enable them to increase palm oil production.

The four palm oil presses worth $ 25,000 were donated to sixteen thousand producers in the territories of Lukula and Tshela. The quick impact project supervised by the Matadi-based political Affairs section is to improve high quality palm oil extraction. The donation was made by the Coordinator of the United Nations joint Office in Bas Congo, Hendrik Bruyn who said the equipments will help the beneficiaries increase productivity and improve palm oil quality in both territories.

The turn-over ceremony took place in the village Nganda Singini 2, about 220 kilometres west of Matadi; in attendance the deputy district commissioner of the Bas Fleuve, Robert Tshasa Nzita. The overall activity was facilitated by the NGO UNAPADEC, Union des Associations paysannes pour le Développement Endogène et Communautaire (Farmers' Associations for Endogenous and Community Development).

Maïmouna Traoré/ MONUSCO