British International Investment

Feronia Inc

Democratic Republic of CongoCentral AfricaFood & Agriculture

Feronia Inc is an agricultural production and processing business in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At its heart lies a long-established palm oil business, Plantations et Huileries du Congo S.A (PHC), which has three remote plantations: Lokutu, Yaligimba and Boteka.

Set up by Lever Brothers in 1911 and once one of the most important businesses in the DRC, the business suffered decades of under-investment due to the civil conflict in the DRC prior to its acquisition by Feronia in 2009. Feronia was established to facilitate the rebuilding of the business from a state of near-collapse.

Following substantial investments, the company now has over 20,000 planted hectares and three functioning mills, making it one of the largest palm oil businesses in Africa.

The produce is entirely consumed within the DRC which is historically a strong consumer and producer of palm oil. It is now a substantial net importer.

Investments made by BII in this company:

Investment name Commitment Region Sector Start date Status
Investment 01 $18.1m Food & Agriculture November 2013 Exited
Investment 02 $23.28m Food & Agriculture January 2015 Exited
Investment 03 $1.8m Food & Agriculture December 2016 Exited
Investment 04 $6.64m Food & Agriculture June 2018 Exited
Investment 05 $23m Food & Agriculture March 2019 Exited
Investment 06 $439.59k Food & Agriculture May 2019 Exited
Investment 07 $4.5m Food & Agriculture March 2020 Exited

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