Howdy friends,
Being a researcher, consultant and stout lover of Africa, this is the question i asked myself after months of uncovering these shocking statistics...

* Over 148 million acres of reach farmland in Africa have been purchased by western hedge funds in the last three years.
* India’s trade with Africa was $45 billion in 2010. And while that’s up sharply from $11 billion in 2006, it still trails China’s $119 billion worth of trade with Africa, the country with a 20-year head start in Africa.
* “Tanzania alone has free 120 million hectares of arable land, the same size (amount) of arable land India has.”
* Signaling its increasing role in Africa’s agricultural sector, China presently has more than 1 100 agricultural experts stationed on the continent.It has also established 11 agricultural research stations and there are over 60 agricultural invest-sector Chinese activities in Mozambique alone.
* More than 80 Indian companies have invested $2.4 billion into East Africa, agricultural investments that will be used to grow cash crops for the Indian market.
* China has found under-utilized crop land alluring and its developmental and technical assistance leverages its abilities to exploit minerals and food production. “Sub-Saharan Africa’s immense and largely untapped agricultural potential is being increasingly viewed by China as a cog in an unfolding and inclusive food security strategy,” Stevens and Freemantle say. “For Africa managing Chinese interest in its agricultural sector will be critical.
* China’s imports of cotton from Africa rose to US$462 million in 2010 from US$8m a decade ago; oil seeds to US$420m from US$146m.
* Mbarali Farm in Tanzania, a Chinese invention, for example, was able to supply a quarter of the country’s total domestic rice production. Zambia Friendship Farm, covering 700 hectares, is another example of China’s developmental and technical assistance. China has another joint operation in Zambia which produces nearly 10 percent of eggs consumed in Lusaka. All-in-all, there are 15 Chinese farms (10 000 hectares) in Zambia.
China has built an agriculture demonstration center at Gwebi College, Zimbabwe’s premier agri-related institute of higher learning, and there have been exchanges among technical experts. Some of the Chinese companies active in Africa include Da Ping Fishery Group in Angola, Sichuan Sanhetian Bio-Tech in Ghana.
* In Mozambique, China has pledged US$800m to modernize that country’s agricultural sector. It plans to help raise Mozambique’s rice production to 500 000 tons from around 100 000 tons over the next five years.
* From 2001 to 2010, China’s imports of soya beans rose ten-fold to US$25 billion from US$2.8 billion. Rubber imports swelled to US$17 billion from US$2 billion.

My thinking........Africa is so blessed......Africa is emerging as the new global livewire except you can live without food......One of the very best place to be on earth now is Africa.....

Bro. Africa is the real deal. I bet it with you. That is why they are encroaching upon the continent(Chinese, Indians, and others) like vultures over carcasses. Agropreneurs of the first order must evolve to lead the world in this new frontier... Ride on

Great report about Africa agro potential credentials. But you need to consider Nigeria's very intimidating agricultural state; both rich land and human resources.

No nation ,continent or person is an island. we need each other. high population anywhere needs food, most especially, to sustain her citizens and even pets! Presently most advanced nations are facing health threats from over chemicalized soils ,n genetically modified foods. Organic foods, or most correctly permacultured ideals is a fantastic remedy to this global malady. Africa's agriculture inform of virgin lands ;wonderful climate/ geography n cheap labours for example, present the global community opportunities for mutual socioeconomic relationship . we just have to prepare.

With population expected to double before 2020,and one-third of the world towns urbanised,the increase for food is expected to rise.

China is positioning itself for that time when food crisis will hit due to overpopulation and they will be able to source food from africa because of untapped land resources; reason for the heavy investment and land grabbing in africa.

This is where We Nigerians need to have a rethink and take advantage of the opportunities agribusiness present;venture and invest to create wealth.

Lesgupnigeria:
With population expected to double before 2020,and one-third of the world towns urbanised,the increase for food is expected to rise.

China is positioning itself for that time when food crisis will hit due to overpopulation and they will be able to source food from africa because of untapped land resources; reason for the heavy investment and land grabbing in africa.

This is where We Nigerians need to have a rethink and take advantage of the opportunities agribusiness present;venture and invest to create wealth.

The Chinese are savvy and super-smart. yeah you are sure right fella. That word you used "Land-grabbing" always trigger me into myriads of thoughts. Like you said which i subscribe to line, hook and sinker, Africans need to have a fast "rethink" and achieve a certain measure of "positioning" which translates to adequate harnessing of the vast wealth that agribusiness provides. Its really a huge market.

hotmas911:
Bro. Africa is the real deal. I bet it with you. That is why they are encroaching upon the continent(Chinese, Indians, and others) like vultures over carcasses. Agropreneurs of the first order must evolve to lead the world in this new frontier... Ride on

Yes. The evolution of African agro-entrepreneurs is a must.

Babacele:
Great report about Africa agro potential credentials. But you need to consider Nigeria's very intimidating agricultural state; both rich land and human resources.

But you need to consider Nigeria's very intimidating agricultural state; both rich land and human resources. I value your perspective. Shed some light great nairalander

Lesgupnigeria:
With population expected to double before 2020,and one-third of the world towns urbanised,the increase for food is expected to rise.

China is positioning itself for that time when food crisis will hit due to overpopulation and they will be able to source food from africa because of untapped land resources; reason for the heavy investment and land grabbing in africa.

This is where We Nigerians need to have a rethink and take advantage of the opportunities agribusiness present;venture and invest to create wealth.

This is where We Nigerians need to have a rethink and take advantage of the opportunities agribusiness present;venture and invest to create wealth.
You just spilled it out. Thats the word.

Babacele:
No nation ,continent or person is an island. we need each other. high population anywhere needs food, most especially, to sustain her citizens and even pets! Presently most advanced nations are facing health threats from over chemicalized soils ,n genetically modified foods. Organic foods, or most correctly permacultured ideals is a fantastic remedy to this global malady. Africa's agriculture inform of virgin lands ;wonderful climate/ geography n cheap labours for example, present the global community opportunities for mutual socioeconomic relationship . we just have to prepare.

Yes. love your enchanting expo. Preparation, like you said, is the key. Not just preparation. I think Fast and Furious preparation will do.

Happy new month........

I feel blessed being an Africa.

This is a true talk! I love ur analysis dear. Africa is becoming d centre of attraction. Going with d fact that no body can go wrong with food, is enough for us especially the graduates in Nigeria who spent most of their time uttering words, blaming government for their present state of being unemployed, to embrace AGRO and turn things around for we all. Thanks dear, more grease to ur elbow.

CHARLESFISH22:
This is a true talk! I love ur analysis dear. Africa is becoming d centre of attraction. Going with d fact that no body can go wrong with food, is enough for us especially the graduates in Nigeria who spent most of their time uttering words, blaming government for their present state of being unemployed, to embrace AGRO and turn things around for we all. Thanks dear, more grease to ur elbow.

You are right. Thats just the undeniable truth.

"If you've got young people who don't know what to do, I'd urge them not to get MBAs, but to get agriculture degrees," Jim Rogers, the Investor guru, told CNBC.com.

Good morning to you all.

Agriculture is the Last Frontier

Good morning..

In only a few years, companies from India, China, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere have snapped up 227 million hectares of farmland in the world’s developing countries, more than three times Canada’s 68 million hectares, according to a report by Oxfam this fall, some for as little as $1 per hectare.