but cursed with human resources is their prime target and they will get by hook and by nook

Kilode?!:

While these companies want to make money, I think the central issue is more of a National Food security thing than just looking for new places to make more big money. I think they are seeking new places to gain control over food and water resources.

From what I've read and heard, Several countries are worried about a possible food scarcity in the near future due to massive world population growth and increasing number of "hungry" middle class income earners with extra cash to spend, especially in countries with diminishing access to arable lands in Asia and the Middle east.

So, I see this as an opportunity for us to learn from the past and make sure we gain from their speculation and fear.

There's nothing wrong with their investments, we should welcome it, But we need to be smart about it. Land ownership and the production of both raw and finished goods must be in our favour, else we repeat 1818 (Scramble for Africa) again, albeit in a more subtle way.

We need to welcome these people's money/investments and still find a way to make them dependent consumers and not outright owners. That is where the challenge and hard work would be for us and our leaders. Unfortunately we don't have a coherent land use or land ownership policy in Nigeria. Even our Green revolution/Agric policy is not revolutionary in anyway. It's also not export oriented at all.


BTW, When Americans (Hillary Clinton) start warning Africans about Asians and Arabs, especially when their own Hedge funds and Universities are doing the same thing(buying up land resources)? That should tell us we have no friends in this situation. they are simply competing

We better start playing both sides to suit our own purposes. Only if we have visionary leaders

Very well said.

u guys wil soon become palestinians in your own land.It will no longer be d issues of diseases and social ills but land too

Seun:

This is just an alarmist piece of garbage, but it suggests that investing in farmlands could be lucrative.

daroz:

@Poster I dont need to read all the crap u wrote, all I know is that its your entire Village that is mumu, not African at large.
I wonder why some pple, becos they think they  have freedom of speech, will think they are at liberty to say anything they like. What an obnoxious  title, knowing fully well that this forum is open to the world.
  NONSENSE!!!!

If you guys were privy to more information, you wouldn't say what you've just said.
One hectare is being sold out in many of these countries for 99 years at the cost of $5 per hectare. Do you have any idea what a hectare is? That is 10 plots of 100 x 100 land for just 750 naira!! And they have bought up 59 million hectares which is about the size of France. This by any standard should alarm anybody!!
If you've read what I've read, you would understand the use of the word MUMU Inc.

Southern Sudan sold out 9% of all its land to a texan investor. Cost: $25,000.
In Ethopia, a region sold out land which is more than 5 times the size of Lagos for $700,000.- That's the price a plot of land goes for in Lekki.
These are facts and they are alarming facts.

You can educate yourself here by downloading the complete reports here:

Ethopia
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Ethiopa_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url]
Mali
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Mali_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url][/url]

Sierra Leone
http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_SierraLeone_Land_Investment_report_0.pdf

redsun:

service and feed thier own population in their home land at d expence of starving and sleeping africans

Abeg O, redsun my broda, please tell then now,,that the real reason.
These foreign companies do not give a "hoot" about Africa.
Lets get something straight. Human nature is selfish and only cares
about it own interest and those that it(he/she) is tied too by blood
and ethnicity etc. These land purchases it not for the benefit of the natives/locales.

They are going to do what the are doing in the caribbean ie
buying up large tracts of land, to produce agricultural and others goods
to ship back to there countries for processing to put on their stores shelves
in Asda, Sainsburies, Tesco's etc.

Nestle is a classic example, they produce shoddy food goods in Nigeria ie their
harder than wood "cornflakes" etc for the Nigerian customer, but the real reason
they are in Nigeria is the land/lease contracts they have in Ogun State where they
are producing corn, wheat, sorghum, cocoa and every other kind of cash crop imaginable and shipping it back to Switzerland and other European/North American/South East Asian countries to be processed and sold to their wholesalers they have contracts with who sale to Big Supermarkets chains like Asda, Tesco and Morrisons.

PapaBrowne:

If you guys were privy to more information, you wouldn't say what you've just said.
One hectare is being sold out in many of these countries for 99 years at the cost of $5 per hectare. Do you have any idea what a hectare is? That is 10 plots of 100 x 100 land for just 750 naira!! And they have bought up 59 million hectares which is about the size of France. This by any standard should alarm anybody!!
If you've read what I've read, you would understand the use of the word MUMU Inc.

Southern Sudan sold out 9% of all its land to a texan investor. Cost: $25,000.
In Ethopia, a region sold out land which is more than 5 times the size of Lagos for $700,000.- That's the price a plot of land goes for in Lekki.
These are facts and they are alarming facts.

You can educate yourself here by downloading the complete reports here:

Ethopia
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Ethiopa_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url]
Mali
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Mali_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url][/url]

Sierra Leone
http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_SierraLeone_Land_Investment_report_0.pdf

Ahh Papabrowne, i have just had a chat with a tanzanian friend and he informed me that the Land some european companies have bought for agricultural purposes
also contain valuable minerals like Gold and Tin. These guys are coming in very cunningly to compete with China,

We better wake up,

redsun:

this is another form of colonization.Oyinbos are running out of resources and africa,a land blessed with natural resources

No wonder they are instigating crisis in a continent associated with ''dark'' and coming to settle in form of humanitarian services.Black man,open ya eyes !

whilst we are busy fighting amongst ourselves, foreigners are surreptiously sneaking in to appropriate our land on 99 year leases for a pittance, apparently the grand plan is to use our land to grow food for export in order to feed their own population while we stand by and fold our hands watching them cheat us, have we learnt anything from our past- it appears not:


[flash=300,300]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9mJjXP6Lq8[/flash]

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

like ikeyman _{soldier this is} usually say" the problem with these NIGERians fellows is they will always talk like they know when they dnt know what they are talking about"

it has always been so.

this is one of the reason people like bro seun owner nl should never being allowed in the corridor of power in the real Nigeria not this corrupt thing we got right now till god knows. i find his likes too liberal

the west has taken the back seat to whinge on chinese jugular over their buying of minerals all over africa like they care for the locals? why are they concerned?

every now and then u get to see the somalian pirate doing their crime but do know how many western vesel that comes everyday and night down to african coast to steal fish for european market?

right now there is unrest going on in syria and the Turkey could only afford to keep their refugess across their border

And as for those that dont know u heard so much about China but u chose not to look towards Brazil; yes farming doesnt give much u are right!!! no u are wrong. Do u know that Brazil are now creating a lot of Billionaires just like the far east through buisnesses like farming and there is serious deforestation going on over there. the country have huge palm oil farm that include over a million palm oil trees . there is huge demand for palm oil cause its cheap in baking etc

Even in my Village in anambra we used to see tall trees that could easily be over 100 yrs habited with some kinda monkey but as deforestation took over the monkeys all went or killed. these are things that could easily preserved for our the benefit of the people and the environment but then hell know; Driving from abuja down east i still get to see people selling bush rat meat and monkey meat on the high way

It high time africa wake their backside up cuz we have for so long been too damn foolsih and silly.

Smart or not we nigerians arent smart cuz how could u equate a man like obj fly on jet, landed on heathrow airport in london, walk through the arrival, drive down through the motorway well tarred, cleared and cleaned with lamp pole litted, and finally talked with the white man then comes back to Nigeria over the pretence that things are normal is quite flightening. You have a suitation every looter wana have house, hotel etc in abuja;they are all gunning for political job to loot and loot but none of then wana come togerther to open up firm and employ nigerians in turn they make more money instead striving on do-or-die looting AND MIND U THIS IS WHAT I CALL CHINESE POWER!!!! IMPROVE AND BULD IN WHAT U HAVE!!  simple

Therefore Nigerians are so s tu pid , selfish and foolish; no doubt

African traitor heads of state are selling us down the river - they are handing over huge tracts of our land to foreigners for next to nothing as ordinary africans continue to wallow in a state of blissful ignorance:

[flash=300,300]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn2QeqPikBM&feature/related[/flash]

I seriously don't get the point being made on this thread.

Are people suggesting that if for instance i have an hectare of land for sale, i shouldn't sell it to the highest bidder simply because he's western?

Doesn't it make sense that those lands that are probably uncultivated and under utilized for years are being sold out to people who have the capital to turn those lands into useful purposes?. . . for large scale farming in this case, which will eventually increase the overall production output of the said country?

Are local people being chased away from those lands. . .and then handed over to foreign investors?

There are American country's all spattered across China, Japan, India, Indonesia, why is that whenever poor Africa is mention, people come out in Arms screaming, "Oh they've come for our oil, they've come for our land". . . .and yet, we lack the appropriate capital or technical know how to convert this resources to good use!

If for instance an American company buys a hectare of land that has been uncultivated for years in Ogun state, only to turn the state into an Industrial hub. . . isn't it beneficial for the state as well?

I see nothing here, but pure unnecessary sensationalism!

African traitor heads of state are selling us down the river - they are handing over huge tracts of our land to foreigners for next to nothing as ordinary africans continue to wallow in a state of blissful ignorance:

So why not buy this land yourself and put them to good use?

Like the usual Nigerians. Talk talk talk but no alternative measures given to counter. Always the "The boogey man  is coming to get us syndrome".

Answer question:

Gvien all the arable land in Africa that is underproducing, what are the alternatives to leasing land to those who are able to work them efficiently?

If we reject the so called invaders, name one solution that is required by our governments to boost our Agric sector and fend off these Invaders?

I AM WAITING FOR ANSWERS PLEASE!! or is it only shouty shouty demogoguery in play here?

While these companies want to make money, I think the central issue is more of a National Food security thing than just looking for new places to make more big money. I think they are seeking new places to gain control over food and water resources.

From what I've read and heard, Several countries are worried about a possible food scarcity in the near future due to massive world population growth and increasing number of "hungry" middle class income earners with extra cash to spend, especially in countries with diminishing access to arable lands in Asia and the Middle east.

So, I see this as an opportunity for us to learn from the past and make sure we gain from their speculation and fear.

There's nothing wrong with their investments, we should welcome it, But we need to be smart about it. Land ownership and the production of both raw and finished goods must be in our favour, else we repeat 1818 (Scramble for Africa) again, albeit in a more subtle way.

We need to welcome these people's money/investments and still find a way to make them dependent consumers and not outright owners. That is where the challenge and hard work would be for us and our leaders. Unfortunately we don't have a coherent land use or land ownership policy in Nigeria. Even our Green revolution/Agric policy is not revolutionary in anyway. It's also not export oriented at all.


BTW, When Americans (Hillary Clinton) start warning Africans about Asians and Arabs, especially when their own Hedge funds and Universities are doing the same thing(buying up land resources)? That should tell us we have no friends in this situation. they are simply competing

We better start playing both sides to suit our own purposes. Only if we have visionary leaders

I think you are a bit wrong here, you assume that these companies are investing in Agriculture to save the US economy once food becomes a scarce commodity- -----WRONG!!!!!!!!!

They invest to make money--simple and pure!. . .they don't give a fúck about America or if America is going to run short of food in the near future.  They are in it simply to make pure absolute returns.

The US economy is fledging, and on the verge of collapse, pension funds have since realized that investing in government bonds might no longer be as safe as they thought it might be, it will also be very dumb to invest in money instruments like t-bills because once the US starts printing out dollars, inflation is likely to wipe out any tangible gains to be made on t-bills.
This therefore mean that Pension funds will have to invest in asset classes that are less susceptible to the fledging US economy, and the only place you can find such asset classes is in Africa, as the African economy is less correlated with the economy of the rest of the world. 

Additionally, agricultural commodities have a long steady pay out rate which is actually a good thing for pension funds in a world where life expectancy has increased and an average person is likely to live longer and thus collect more money as pension.

Food scarcity is actually a good news for those invested in the funds. . . .what else could be?

violent:

I seriously don't get the point being made on this thread.

Are people suggesting that if for instance i have an hectare of land for sale, i shouldn't sell it to the highest bidder simply because he's western?

Doesn't it make sense that those lands that are probably uncultivated and under utilized for years are being sold out to people who have the capital to turn those lands into useful purposes?. . . for large scale farming in this case, which will eventually increase the overall production output of the said country?

Are local people being chased away from those lands. . .and then handed over to foreign investors?

There are American country's all spattered across China, Japan, India, Indonesia, why is that whenever poor Africa is mention, people come out in Arms screaming, "Oh they've come for our oil, they've come for our land". . . .and yet, we lack the appropriate capital or technical know how to convert this resources to good use!

If for instance an American company buys a hectare of land that has been uncultivated for years in Ogun state, only to turn the state into an Industrial hub. . . isn't it beneficial for the state as well?

I see nothing here, but pure unnecessary sensationalism!

Well . . I think it's just the minor detail that all the food produced will be sent to foreign countries. Stop trying to be smart. And yes local people are often bring forced of the land, not in Nigeria but in other countries like Benin and the gambella region of Ethiopia.

violent:

So why not buy this land yourself and put them to good use?

I dont know if you read through the articles or watched any of those videos but these land disposals are going to millionaire investors and not ordinary joes,  if any of these african govts were serious about encouraging local investment it would have subsidised local farmers in africa the way the europeans and americans do with their own farmers, not allow foreigners to come in and buy up land at rock bottom prices.  
Do you even understand the implication of allowing foreigners to own the bulk of your arable land? can you not see that that puts you in a very vulnerable position in terms of providing food for your own people?

ANy alternative solutions out there?

ANy?

cap28:

I dont know if you read through the articles or watched any of those videos but these land disposals are going to millionaire investors and not ordinary joes, if any of these african govts were serious about encouraging[b] local investment it would have subsidised local farmers in africa [/b] the way the europeans and americans do with their own farmers, not allow foreigners to come in and buy up land at rock bottom prices.
Do you even understand the implication of allowing foreigners to own the bulk of your arable land? can you not see that that puts you in a very vulnerable position in terms of providing food for your own people?

1. Local investment?
from where?

2. Subsidize inefficient farmers.

hmmm Don't think so. That's money down the drain

Do you even understand the implication of allowing foreigners to own the bulk of your arable land? can you not see that that puts you in a very vulnerable position in terms of providing food for your own people

Most African countries will just seize the lands back at the slightest provocation, so there's no risk really.

pleep:

Well . . I think it's just the minor detail that all the food produced will be sent to foreign countries. Stop trying to be smart. And yes local people are often bring forced of the land, not in Nigeria but in other countries like Benin and the gambella region of Ethiopia.

This is not only lame but a shallow minded way of thinking!


First, tariffs on exports will generate income for the government of any country!

Second, locals will be employed to work in factories and farms, thus improving the employment situation of the country.

Third, the companies involved are asset management companies, they are in it to make pure profit, how do you suppose they wouldn't sell to the local industries who previously have been spending more to import raw materials to manufacture their goods?

For instance if Cadubury had been importing cocoa from ivory coast, and it had to do spend more on cost of importing cocoa and transporting same to their factories, it only makes sense that a new large scale cocoa farming business in Nigeria will become an instant supplier of cocoa to Cadbury. . . . .why do you suppose this business would prefer to leave a market where it had an established customer for a market where it might have to source new customers?

If Agricultural commodities become scarce globally, does it not make sense that the Nigerian government might place a ban on exportation of certain goods to retain local supply?

common people, stop thinking childishly!!!

Seun:

Most African countries will just seize the lands back at the slightest provocation, so there's no risk really.

lol

Good one, Seun

Africans are very shortsighted. They sell d future of unborn generations for pittance

violent:


I think you are a bit wrong here, you assume that these companies are investing in Agriculture to save the US economy once food becomes a scarce commodity- -----WRONG!!!!!!!!!

They invest to make money--simple and pure!. . .they don't give a fúck about America or if America is going to run short of food in the near future.  They are in it simply to make pure absolute returns.

Do you think europe or america is like nigeria where the masses remain docile even when they are starving?

Westerners are only tolerating the current economic crisis because it hasnt yet hit most of them where it really hurts - in the stomach - do you know that the average westerner doesnt even know what it feels like to go without food for one day talkless of actually being without food for days.

i can assure you that if food shortages start happening in europe or america the masses will go ballistic and there is no way any western govt would  want that to happen, this is why they are hastily making this decision to go into africa and buy up huge tracts of land at the expense of africans.

cap28:

I dont know if you read through the articles or watched any of those videos but these land disposals are going to millionaire investors and not ordinary joes,  if any of these african govts were serious about encouraging local investment it would have subsidised local farmers in africa the way the europeans and americans do with their own farmers, not allow foreigners to come in and buy up land at rock bottom prices.  
Do you even understand the implication of allowing foreigners to own the bulk of your arable land? can you not see that that puts you in a very vulnerable position in terms of providing food for your own people?

How?. . . .If a company owns an arable land where corn is being cultivated on a large scale.  The government can always force such companies to sell to locals by placing a ban on corn exports, that's simple really.

Local farmers will only be able to produce on a very small scale, why else do you suppose that will all the lands available to us in Nigeria, we still import stuffs like rice?

If there are foreign investors that are willing to produce such a commodity in large quantities, and they are asking to buy lands, why the fúck not?

I have 2 questions

1) How much do you reckon local labourers will be paid to work on these vast agricultural farms? Answer: Peanuts

2) One big word: BIODIESEL (look it up)



I'm sure you are all aware of the racist theory that "Black men are like babies". Damn it's so depressing not to be able to sort our crap out!
Honestly, applying intelligence to knowledge is seriously lacking amongst our species.

morpheus24:

ANy alternative solutions out there?

ANy?
1. Local investment?
from where?

what do you call the subsistence farmers who eke out a living?
how abou the huge numbers of unemployed  youths that are roaming the streets of lagos or crowding out internet cafes looking for people to dupe?  surely their skills could be put to better use managing farms?

2. Subsidize inefficient farmers.

hmmm Don't think so. That's money down the drain

thats what i call myopic thinking, subsistence farming is inefficient for the simple reason that it is not being funded and subsidised by the govt - in europe and america - farmers are assisted by way of agricultural subsidies in order to increase efficiency.

@ Violent,


You thinking is right but a lil flawed.

Hypothetically, you employ labor, resource et.al to produce a ton of Cocoa for $150.00 per ton and export at that same amount for $150 as a raw material, and when it get to U.S., they sell it for like $300 and if it’s processed, can be sold for up to $500, as you can see they have circumvented the extra $150.00 if exported raw and up to $350.00 if processed. However, if you own your land and trade at a commodity exchange, you will sell at least up to $250.00, that $100 is left for you and vice versa if processed. The same will apply in the taxes.

Food prices are already skyrocketing in d west and it is just d beginning.Someone suggested africans will take d land back

redsun:

Food prices are already skyrocketing in d west and it is just d beginning.Someone suggested africans will take d land back

Did u say already or they it's started, which one? Food prices are on the high now; it's just a matter of time before it skyrockets. I don't know how they will take their lands back, probably use Voodoo I guess

cap28:

Do you think europe or america is like nigeria where the masses remain docile even when they are starving?

Westerners are only tolerating the current economic crisis because it hasnt yet hit most of them where it really hurts - in the stomach - do you know that the average westerner doesnt even know what it feels like to go without food for one day talkless of actually being without food for days.

i can assure you that if food shortages start happening in europe or america the masses will go ballistic and there is no way any western govt would  want that to happen, this is why they are hastily making this decision to go into africa and buy up huge tracts of land at the expense of africans.

You have to think economically, my friend.  Everything is priced on the laws of demand and supply.

If agricultural commodities is in short supply in a country, International commodity trading firms NOT the government, will take advantage of the situation and buy from locations where such commodities are surplus to sell at a higher price in locations where the demand is more, the people will get to pay more on the prices of food, more companies will see this opportunity to import and sell food, and they will do just one thing-----seize the opportunity!----this will mean there will be more suppliers in the market, and more likely than not, this will drive the price of commodity to a point where it is reasonably priced!

when they deem fit.For where?haven't u guys heard of war in d interest of a country?

D world is at d point now where strong armies march into weaker countries and commandeer their resources for good

It is a case of run if u can.Oyinbos will go all out wide soon.Obama won't be there forever,u know.