S Africa: A boere brain-drain

Submitted by George:
5-08-09

SA farmers are flocking to accept an invitation from the Republic of Congo government to start commercial farming.

Like many other countries, the central African nation is concerned about food security. It has offered SA farmers free land, exemption from taxes and import duties for five years, and freedom to take profits out of the country.

In addition, the farmers will retain the rights to sell the businesses they establish in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) or leave them to their heirs.

In return, they must establish a commercial farming sector that will ensure food security within five years, in a nation that imports almost all its food because of a severely neglected agriculture sector.

Andre Botha - SA farmers are top-class
"Congo-Brazzaville is a dumping ground for third-grade French food products," says Andre Botha, chairman of Agri-Braz, a co-operative formed by farmers' representative body AgriSA.

"The French, Congo-Brazzaville's former colonial masters, are not happy with us. They know what SA farmers can achieve."

Congo-Brazzaville has undertaken to help farmers with infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications and railways.

Botha says fertiliser manufacturers and others have expressed interest in the venture, and logistical challenges are being addressed - such as the development of home-schooling packages for children of relocating farmers.

About 94% of Congo-Brazzaville's people live in cities and towns, making it Africa's most urbanised country. "The remaining 6% live in 90% of the country and there is almost no commercial agriculture taking place, despite abundant fertile arable land," Botha says.

"There is about 10m ha available in a country that straddles the equator and therefore has two summers. It is humid, hot and wet, better than Winterton in KwaZulu Natal, regarded as the best farming land in SA with its average annual rainfall of 1 100 mm. In the Congo it is 1 500 mm on average."

Botha notes that SA's two major maize-growing areas enjoy far less rainfall: the Nigel-Potchefstroom-Vanderbijlpark triangle averages 450 mm-700 mm, and Lichtenburg-Bothaville-Ventersdorp 600 mm-700 mm.

Botha believes the offer is particularly attractive because farmers desire acceptance and appreciation they do not get in SA. He says Congo-Brazzaville chose this route over other options, such as agricultural investments by Arab countries, because of the profile of SA farmers.

"On our fact-finding missions we were struck by their levels of expectation about the possibility of upliftment. They see SA farmers as among the best in the world. In near-desert conditions we feed a nation."

He says there have also been approaches for SA and Zimbabwean farmers from countries like Ghana, Uganda and Kenya. "[Muammar] Gaddafi, for example, wants 80 farmers for Libya."

The organisation has received about 2 100 inquiries from local farmers about a possible move to the Congo. An upcoming information session in Nigel has attracted 80 farmers. "There is huge interest," he says.

But though SA farmers are dissatisfied with aspects of agriculture in SA, Botha insists their desire to move north should not be portrayed as another Great Trek.

"The truth is that farmers are unlikely to leave SA permanently. They have an attachment to their land and do not want to relocate. They simply want to diversify and they have an excellent opportunity in this offer. They will probably send their sons, nephews or managers to run operations in Congo-Brazzaville," he says. "It is an opportunity to help in building something, to leave a legacy."

And to make money? "That's why farmers are in business."

Source Url: http://secure.financialmail.co.za/09/0508/features/ifeat.htm

Posted By: JoAn
*AfricanCrisis Volunteer*

Date Posted: Tuesday 30-Jun-2009
Once they are fed they will tell the South Africans that they are settlers and need to get out of their country. The hunger sets in and they ask them to come back. Then it repeats itself.

Jim

Date Posted: Tuesday 30-Jun-2009
Susan has a Congo dilemma... actually its a catch 22 situation: Congo here Congo there

Ric Tracey

Date Posted: Thursday 25-Jun-2009
For years the South Africans have been portrayed as racists. Now they are courted by several African countries who have to swallow they're pride and admit that the SA farmers are talented and they need their abilities to feed their people.

Bravo to the South Africans!!!

Paul
Rocklin, CA
USA

Date Posted: Thursday 25-Jun-2009
No way!!! This Susan cannot be for real. It has to be a joke or something...

Rightwing Racist

Date Posted: Wednesday 24-Jun-2009
Susan, there is no tie in between the two former Congo colonies (one French and one Belgian) and the languages of Belgium.

Belgium is a political compromise (long preceding the colonizations of the 1700s and 1800s) between the Flemish-speaking (akin to Dutch) people of Flanders adjacent to Holland, and the French-speaking Walloons in the area adjacent to France.

Peter
Johannesburg

Date Posted: Wednesday 24-Jun-2009
Susan, note that there are TWO Congos.

The former BELGIAN Congo became Zaire under Mobuto and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its former capital Leopoldville (named after King Leopold I think it was) was renamed Kinshasa. It was at one stage (and in some cases still is) therefore referred to as Congo-Kinshasa.

Across the Congo River (now called the Zaire as it was in pre colonial days) is the former FRENCH Congo with its capital Brazzaville. It was and still is referred to as Congo-Brazzaville but its correct name is the Republic of Congo.

Peter
Johannesburg

Date Posted: Wednesday 24-Jun-2009
Hi ; So what's with the comment from André Botha, that the former "masters" of Congo-Brazzaville, were the French? When I was a child, there was a country called the BELGIAN CONGO. Not the French Congo!
OK, French is spoken in Belgium but so too is Flemish. We get a good amount of Belgian products in France, which have French language labelling. Perhaps this is why Mnr Botha is getting his facts screwed up :-)

Susan
Bayonne
France

Date Posted: Wednesday 24-Jun-2009
If the white farmers leave SA, the country will starve and collapse just as Zimbabwe has. Is that what SA government wants?

richard
Monterey
USA