In 1997 agriculture represented about 58 percent of the Congo's
GDP. The country's primary
cash crops
include coffee, palm oil, rubber, cotton, sugar, tea, and cocoa. The
Congo's primary food crops include rice, groundnuts, maize,
plantains, and cassava. Two-thirds of the Congo's
labor force
works in the agricultural sector.
In 1997, the industrial sector represented approximately 17 percent of
GDP and employed 16 percent of
the workforce. Industrial diamonds alone account for 52 percent of
exports. The Congo's abundant reserves of copper and cobalt
present enormous potential to its economy. However, this potential has
not been met because the Congo's mining companies have failed to
keep up with general improvements in mining technology. Also, the war
has had a great effect on production in the industrial sector. Services
account for just 25 percent of the economy and employ 19 percent of the
workers.
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