John Deere tractors used in largest single rice planting in Congo

The Feronia company and its arable farming division planted 1,200 hectares of rice in the DRC, the largest single planting of the crop in the history of the African nation.
The Feronia company and its arable farming division planted 1,200 hectares of rice in the DRC, the largest single planting of the crop in the history of the African nation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may seem like the last place to find a used John Deere tractor, however, the farm equipment from the agricultural giant were a major reason that a large rice planting was able to occur within the country, according to Proactive Investors.

The Feronia company and its arable farming division planted 1,200 hectares of rice in the DRC, the largest single planting of the crop in the history of the African nation.

According to the news source, the operation was fully mechanized and required the use of John Deere tractors, as these machines were necessary for many tasks that helped to ready the soil, help to retain the acidity and clear areas that had previously provided trouble to the local farmers.

A source from the company noted "we have proven that we can source all the necessary inputs and equipment and mobilize the required expertise to implement large-scale mechanized farming in the DRC."

Feronia focuses on arable farming operations and oil palm work in the DCR using U.S.-style agriculture systems.