This Time for Africa: Africa calling Indian farmers

ASSOCHAM, India's apex industry body, has sent a proposal to the External Affairs Ministry to consider tapping the emerging agricultural opportunities in Africa and offering to act as a facilitator to help Indian farmers reap the benefits of the huge potential that lie in Africa.

"Hoping to address the huge issue of food shortage, these countries have begun inviting overseas farmers to come and cultivate their lands. These governments are willing to lease land free of cost for 99 years", ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat told PTI.

Farmers were free to cultivate the land and raise any crop and sell it to the domestic market and  also export.

"It is a win-win situation for the farmers and for the African governments", said Assocham Director Om S Tyagi.

"Since the lease is for 99 years, it means that a farmer is in control of the land for his life time. It means land for roughly around three generations," he said.

The countries that were in the forefront trying to attract agriculturists were Sudan and Ethopia, he said.

Several Chinese farmers have already accepted the offer and begun cultivation of land, said Tyagi.

A number of farmers from Punjab have also on their own initiative migrated to these countries and begun cultivation. However, the chambers was not able to provide statistics on the number of Indians farming in these African countries.