111 years ago today, Plantations et Huileries du Congo, then called Huileries du Congo Belge (HCB), was established by the Lever Brothers to supply palm oil to its Port Sunlight soap factory in the UK. HCB remained in operation in the DRC throughout the colonial period and went through several transitions as the country evolved. After the DRC gained independence in 1960 and was renamed Zaire in 1971, HCB became Plantations Lever au Zaire (PLZ). When Zaire reverted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997, the company was also renamed to its current form, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC). Finally, in 2021, a new chapter in the history of PHC has opened: new majority African and Congolese shareholders and an entirely Congolese management at the head of the company.
While PHC's long history is undoubtedly complex, it is also a testament to the resilience, innovation and dedication of millions of Congolese who have contributed to the sustainability of the company.
These 111 years of existence is also an opportunity for PHC to honor many Congolese who suffered from the demands of forced labor on the plantations during the early years of the company. We also honor the Congolese employees who managed to maintain the company's activities during the difficult periods of armed conflict in the DRC from 1996 to 2003, despite severe reductions in investment and at the cost of sometimes extreme sacrifices. We also celebrate the ingenuity of Congolese agronomists, engineers and other scientists who have perfected both the science and cultivation methods of oil palm, as well as palm oil extraction technology, innovations that have revolutionized the palm oil sector and whose fruits are now enjoyed around the world―a true testament to Congolese ingenuity in the agribusiness sector. For example, the first genetic cross between varieties Hard et Pisifera oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) to produce the variety Tender on which the world's industrial production of oil palm is based, was made in Yangambi in the province of Tshopo. This genetic material, property of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been sent and is used in all major palm oil producing regions in the world. The PHC Planter's Manual has been adopted by Southeast Asian countries to develop oil palm cultivation in this region. Similarly, it was the Belgian Congo Palm Oil Producers and Exporters Cooperative (CONGOPALM) which between 1952 and 1955 developed industrial palm oil extraction techniques which were published in 1955 in the Mongana Report by the Institute for the Promotion of Scientific Research in Industry and Agriculture (IRSIA); this Mongana report is now considered the ultimate guide for palm oil producers.
PHC has come a long way since its original founding in 1911, and this 111e The company's anniversary also affords us the opportunity to examine the current era of PHC. The company, through its new management team installed just over a year ago and with its new vision called "Shared Prosperity through Agribusiness", has several achievements to its credit, including:
- A 12% salary increase for employees at the bottom of the company's salary scale;
- The contracting of all PHC employees without exception;
- An annual bonus was offered to each employee in February 2022 to share in the profits made by PHC in 2021;
- A very first ceremony called “PHC Awards” to recognize the exceptional employees who have made the success of the company possible in 2021;
- The reconstruction or rehabilitation of more than 235 workers' houses in 2021 and the start of the construction of 50 new houses in 2021 to improve the living conditions of staff;
- The construction of 12 schools between 2018 and 2021, including seven under construction for 2022;
- The construction of a health center each year (2019, 2020 and 2021) and two are under construction for 2022;
- The commitment to produce rice, cassava, corn and soybean seeds from 2022 in support of the presidential development program for the 145 Territories.
The history of PHC is rich in lessons, both positives to reproduce and negatives to avoid, for the current management of the company. Building on these lessons, PHC envisions a new period of shared prosperity in the DRC through agribusiness for the next 111 years.