Congo- Republic of the Beef

Facts about beef in Congo- Republic of the

• Cattle breeding and the development of large-scale agricultural businesses has been hindered by the recent war and the poor quality of the road system.
• Reliable statistics for a country such as the Congo are difficult to obtain- as most agricultural labor takes place outside of official channels- but most estimates put the percentage of the workforce engaged in agriculture between 60 and 75 percent.
• Gastronomy in the Congo is as varied as its landscape. Specialties differ by region and ethnic group. Inland regions- meanwhile- use country meats and poultry. Rare hunted game like monkey and snake are also consumed along with local favorites like goat- lamb and mutton.
• Beef is expensive-thus only few can afford-however- vegetables and fruits are abundant throughout the country and much more affordable
• Animal husbandry has high government priority- and production is steadily increasing. In 2004 there were an estimated 294-000 goats- 98-000 sheep- 46-000 hogs- 100-000 head of cattle- and 2.2 million chickens. Total meat production in 2004 was 30-423 tons.