Musa Kombi dey waka for di edge of im family plantation wey im inherit for eastern Congo Beni, e dey use im mind map where di coffee rows end and where cocoa rows start.

Before, Musa dey grow arabica coffee for two hectares. But now, na only 0.8 hectares of coffee crop remain.

Cocoa easy to manage pass coffee. E dey sell quick too. Musa no dey talk say e wan give up; e just dey adjust.

For Beni, where di cool mountain breeze and volcanic soil before make coffee di oga patapata of cash crops, farmers don dey leave arabica and robusta coffee for cocoa.

Di reason wey dey push dem na say cocoa no too stress person like coffee, and e dey bring better money for long run.

So, di question be say, DRC dey turn im back on coffee even as di demand dey increase for di whole world?

Even though di figures dey different, coffee still be one important export product. E dey contribute well to di region economy and e dey supply international markets, especially Europe and other places.

One recent report talk say di coffee-rich eastern region of DRC still dey ship thousands of tonnes of coffee beans every year, and robusta dey make up over 70% of di output.

But wetin di data no show na how coffee don dey lose popularity as cash crop for di area. Di wahala wey conflict cause don make plenty farmers run comot, and e don make DRC coffee production drop almost 75% for di last 40 years.

For di late 1980s, dem estimate say DRC dey produce between 120,000 and 130,000 metric tonnes of coffee every year.

Congo get organic advantage wey suppose be di country trump card. Di high-altitude plantations, wey stretch from di misty eastern mountains go di thick forests of Équateur province, no sabi chemical fertilisers.

Farmers for di area dey grow coffee di same way wey dia ancestors take do am: with compost, patience, and plenty rainfall.

Florent Meni, wey be agricultural engineer for Office National des Produits Agricoles du Congo (ONAPAC), talk say, "We dey use wet processing methods wey dem don pass down from generation to generation. After fermentation and roasting, na only sugar and protein go remain. Na dis aroma dey make international buyers pay better money."

But even as global coffee prices dey rise — robusta hit all-time high of $5,528 per tonne for November 28, 2024 — many Congolese coffee farmers dey waka comot.

Di good news be say, DRC make $433 million from agricultural exports for 2024, and coffee still dey lead di pack.

But for villages across North Kivu and Ituri, di call of cocoa don strong pass coffee.

Desiré Malyamukono, wey be farmer for Mukasila inside Ituri province, talk say, "We gatz abandon coffee if we no ready to put di time wey e need. Coffee need plenty care. Di price no dey sweet like cocoa own. So, we dey leave coffee for cocoa wey dey bring better profit and demand dey high."

ONAPAC don start awareness campaigns for di main coffee-growing areas, dey share disease-resistant seedlings and dey train farmers on better ways to grow coffee.

Meni talk say, "We dey tell farmers make dem think long-term. Coffee dey stable. E dey store well and di export demand no dey shake. But cocoa price dey jump up and down — wetin go happen if di bubble burst?"

But farmers wey dey struggle to feed dia family no dey quick gree. Di price bulletin from Congo ministry of foreign trade for July 21-26 show di matter. Arabica dey sell for $5,610 per tonne, robusta dey go for $3,280, but cocoa dey fetch $3,500 from local buyers, and e no too stress to grow.

Twenty-four countries dey import Congolese cocoa now, and European chocolate makers dey lead di demand.

For Beni, Musa don make im choice. Next season, e plan to add another quarter hectare to di cocoa wey e don dey grow.

To leave di arabica trees wey im ancestors plant no easy, but e prefer to put im effort where e believe say im future dey.