Excerpts from the report: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) is gaining momentum in its economic recovery from the turmoil following independence from Belgium in 1960. Civil and political disorders had reduced total agricultural production about one-fourth from the 1959 high to the 1965 low. Since 1965, production has slowly recovered. This recovery can be attributed to political stability and gradual restoration of internal security, plus monetary reform in June 1967 (primarily devaluation), which increased incentives to produce and export. Palm products, coffee, and rubber are the main agricultural exports. Tea and cocoa beans are also export crops, but of lesser importance. The main food crops (cassava, plantains, sweetpotatoes , and corn) of the subsistence farmer have risen in production from low points in the early sixties to levels almost equal to those prevailing before independence.
