Share this
Mister Wong
Digg
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio
Hear this text
Print
E-mail
Tags
Migration of farmers a threatReports about a new wave of South African commercial farmers migrating into Africa, as far north of the Limpopo as Libya, have featured prominently in the news in recent weeks. It is a complicated issue, which in the medium- to longer-term could have serious implications for the domestic agricultural industry and food security.
Should a significant number of experienced commercial farmers decide to leave, domestic food production and the ability of the country to feed its own could come under pressure. The possible loss of commercial farmers to other African states has met with strong resistance in certain circles.
South Africa recently lost its status as a food exporter and became a net importer. Farmers are already leaving this profession in large numbers and a possible additional loss of productive farmers to other African countries will make South Africa increasingly more dependent on imported food at increased cost.
An uncertain future due to government’s land redistribution policy, constraining labour laws, high production costs and unfavourable climatic conditions are among the reasons more and more productive farmers are looking beyond South Africa’s borders.
On top of it all is security, or rather the lack thereof, which some farmers say leave them without much of a choice. It is said that, apart from active war zones, farming in South Africa has become one of the most dangerous professions in the world. This is borne out by the fact that from 1994 up to the beginning of 2009, a total of 3 034 farmers, their family members and workers have been murdered in farm attacks with a very low percentage of the perpetrators brought to book.
No new trend
The idea of South African commercial farmers plying their trade elsewhere in Africa is not new. It recently saw moves to Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria and Congo-Brazzaville. Most of which was less than a success.
However, South Africa’s white farmers still maintain a good reputation in Africa. An official fact finding mission from Congo-Brazzaville were particularly impressed by the low-cost food produced by South African farmers especially after their invitations to Chinese and Indian farmers had turned into disappointment.
Congo-Brazzaville recently approached a commercial farmers’ union in South Africa in an attempt to recruit white farmers from South Africa.1 Similar interest came from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Angola, Zambia and Uganda. Unexpectedly, Libya also expressed a desire to recruit farmers from South Africa.
The Congo-Brazzaville project is tempting to many farmers with between eight to 10 million hectare of fertile agricultural land available for maize, soya bean, dairy, poultry and other farming disciplines. Included in the offer is a five-year “holiday” from corporate tax and the dismantling of taxes on imported agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and machines. Farmers will be allowed to take all their profits out of the country and, although the project is billed a food security initiative, they are under no obligation to sell their products on the domestic market.
Some farmers who were part of an earlier attempt vowed never to return to Congo-Brazzaville and warned against numerous pitfalls awaiting any prospective farmer. Others again are willing to take a second risk.
Congo-Brazzaville’s agricultural potential is counterbalanced by seemingly insurmountable challenges. With tacit approval and support from the South African government, and leadership and guidance provided by Agri SA, this latest attempt seems theoretically at least, more promising.
However, any prospective farmer or syndicate should recognise and accept that Congo-Brazzaville is an extremely expensive country with an unfamiliar language and culture. Corruption is endemic at all levels and communication and infrastructure across the country is limited. In the rural and farming areas it is almost nonexistent. President Sassou Nguesso, recently re-elected by a landslide, has endorsed the recruitment of white South African farmers but it is not clear if all his followers are as keen to welcome foreign farmers to their country.
Despite all these misgivings, the interest in the South African farming community is high with the most interest coming from the Free State and Northern Cape where many farmers are facing land claims. Interest has even been shown by former South African farmers that have moved to the United States, Australia and New Zealand who want to return to Africa, but preferably not South Africa due to the security situation in the country.
Andre Botha, president of Agri Gauteng, a division of Agri SA, explained the South African interest in more altruistic terms. According to him, “There are three main reasons we are in the Congo. The first is, of course, to diversify our businesses; the second is to assist local farmers to commercially develop their own land; the third reason is to assist the government of South Africa to fulfill the expectations of the world in stabilising the African continent through the exchange of skills and technology.”
On the heels of the Congo-Brazzaville initiative, Agri SA was approached and invited by the Libyan government who wants to revive its ailing agricultural sector through private sector partnership. Under President Muammar Ghadaffi’s own peculiar socialist philosophy, Libya’s state farms all but collapsed 3and Tripoli is of the opinion that South African farmers might hold the key.
South African farmers interested in the offer from Libya will likewise be severely tested. Some 82 000 hectare of farmland is available with 35 000 hectare set aside for the production of grapes and olives.
Libyan barriers
Barriers and challenges caused by language, religion and culture are even more acute. Farmers who move to Libya must accept that their fate is in the hands of Col. Ghadaffi, Libya’s extremely temperamental and unpredictable president.
Although Agri SA reports that the Libyan government is keen on recruiting South African farmers, the Libyans have made it clear that they are mainly interested in the expertise of the South African farmers and their transfer of knowledge.
It is highly unlikely that they will be granted long-term lease agreements. They can however, expect to be paid handsomely while they help with the rehabilitation of the Libyan agricultural sector. The remuneration factor might be enticing enough for South African farmers to head for Libya. The proposition can be likened to the “Iraq scenario”. People with sought after skills are hired to do a job, but do not stay on permanently and leave when the job is done.
The vision of South African farmers plying their trade in Congo-Brazzaville and Libya has the official sanction of the South African government making it politically expedient for these countries to canvass mostly white South African farmers. The South African government even agreed to facilitate administrative and logistical support.
The backing of the South African government is controversial and said to be opportunistic and self-serving. It provides an opportunity to free up more farmland for its land redistribution programme, which is under immense strain and a potential time bomb. It is, however, highly unlikely that transplanting white farmers, even in significant numbers into Africa, will have the desired effect. Not only will land owning farmers interested in diversifying into Africa stay reluctant to relinquish their South African farms, they are also advised against it by the agricultural unions.
Neo-colonialism
Africa has become the focus of a new brand of colonialism. More and more countries with a diminishing food production capacity are looking towards Africa to satisfy their growing need. Some are establishing themselves on fertile agricultural land under various disguises and pretexts. There are also some unscrupulous African politicians and governments that are openly selling off their agricultural assets for the proverbial bowl of soup.
Not only do white South African farmers possess the necessary skills and expertise to help Africa, and themselves in the process, but they can also provide a buffer against this new encroaching neo-colonialism.
This might be the upshot of white South African farmers moving into Africa, but far more serious is the long-term effect of the loss of a significant number of productive farmers in light of a looming South African food security threat.
Most of the farmers pondering the possibility of a future elsewhere in Africa will prefer to stay in South Africa if their fears and concerns are adequately addressed. The recent words of President Zuma that instead of chasing commercial farmers from the country they should rather be “pampered” to stay for the sake of the country, is most encouraging.
Unfortunately, words are not enough and should be followed up by deeds and these should be convincing enough to persuade the many highly skeptical farmers to reconsider and that is a very tall order.
1 Agri SA, a commercial farmers' association, was approached by the Congolese government in January 2009 to investigate the possible recruitment of white South African farmers for Congo-Brazzaville.
2 The South Africa-Congo concession: Exploitation or salvation?
3 The effect of Ghadaffi’s policy is that Libya today has to import 70% of the country’s food.
