Africa is a large continent with thousands of acres of land lying free despite being highly fertile. China is a powerful country with sound economic assets and a huge population that needs to be fed, even though its arable land is not just limited but rapidly decreasing due to the rush for urban life. The question is how would China expect to find food for its millions when it cannot grow more than what it sows at present. And Africa is looking for opportunities to make money from whatever natural resources it has even in the form of arable land. In recent years this trend has been noticed in ther countries as well, and the richer ones out of these have been trying to use their financial muscle to take land from poorer countries on long lease. Africa fits the bill perfectly among the land rich countries, and it would give preference to China without doubt for providing land for cultivation. Africa remains obliged to the core to China for its aid, its developmental assistance, waiving off debts and taking up developmental projects in most African countries.
During the last five years, only 5 sub-Saharan countries have seen 6.2 million acres of farmland bought or leased by foreign countries at an expense of $920 million. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a report feels that this is only the beginning. The concern is for the smaller farmers who get displaced in favor of large farming operations that are commercialized and mechanized. China has been sending its own farmers to various African countries to implement Chinese farming policies and make a success of the agricultural business. China has also emerged from a low level of earning among its rural population by evolving methods and techniques of enhancing output from existing resources of land. Its rice cultivation is a case in point since it has developed hybrid varieties of rice that multiplied rice output manifold in China. This might just be the answer to Africa’s hungry millions who are not able to get two square meals a day.
Source : Chinafrica
