The National Agricultural Research Institute (IRA), is the Republic of Congo’s principal agricultural research agency. IRA, which falls under the Ministry of Scientific Research, conducts crop and livestock research.

In March 2014, a number of belonging to the General Delegation of Scientific and Technical Research (DGRST) DGRST were consolidated into the new institutes, IRA and Forestry Research Institute (IRF).

Comprising two agencies under Marien Ngouabi University, Congo’s higher education sector accounted for 14 percent of the nation’s agricultural research capacity in 2011. Compared with most African countries, the nonprofit sector plays a relatively important, and increasing, role in Congolese agricultural R&D. AGRICONGO carries out adaptive research on market gardens for food and fruit crops, as well as fodder plants, and CRDPI conducts forestry research.