But Dr. Zeigler had to return disappointed because the decision makers in Saudi Arabia have other ideas for the future of food sufficiency. They are more interested to lease land area in countries that still have sufficient land for cultivation.
They have targeted several African countries like Mali, Senegal, Sudan and Ethiopia as the target countries will be willing to provide land for rice cultivation and the like to meet food needs of the people of Saudi Arabia in the future.
That they are aiming for Africa is a bit odd, why? Africa is the world endlessly plagued by problems of hunger. The countries targeted by Saudi Arabia is far enough food for its own people can not afford it, why all of a sudden now the target of agricultural investment that will produce food for other countries?
Saudi Arabia was not only a glance at Africa, the Government of Qatar has also been hired 100.000 acres of land in Kenya, South Korea cultivate 400 square miles of land in Tanzania.
African countries to be shot who want to secure long-term food availability because according to the World Bank and FAO's where the lands in the billions of acres are still available. In an area called the Guinea Savannah, which forms a crescent area and stretches from Guinea in western Africa, the east to Kenya and south to Mozambique. There are dozens of countries that have been mapped FAO in this area are ready to be made in commercial farming areas are open to investors of other countries.
Movement of agricultural land hunting is actually relatively new, since up to five years ago (2007) considered the world's food production enough to meet the needs of the world's population. 2008 was the start of the panic, when food prices began to soar in the world. Food-exporting countries such as Argentina and Vietnam, began to worry with food sufficiency for its own people and begin to restrict exports.
Then what is the real lesson for us? That this country now, was not able to meet the needs of our own food. We import 100% wheat, soy and rice sometimes. We import meat, milk and even fish. Is not it occurred to us that one of the largest producer of wheat, soybeans, rice, meat, milk etc.. it will need it for their own?
Or if there are any more shall-we have to fight with the rich countries but minimal domestic agricultural resources such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and South Korea are on top?
So before that happens and becomes a big problem for our children, how about from now on we do the maximum that we can? On earth as far as the eye could see this green appears, is not it supposed to be if this country is able to meet food needs for its own people?
We must be thankful to the green land - fertile so it does not have force to hunt the barren land even as did Saudi Arabia, Qatar and South Korea. This is a form of gratitude to god when we are working hard for its prosperity - not only strive to become ruler.
In the next two years, there will be a great national celebration in the country - when the number of elites in this country will compete for power in both the national executive and legislative. We are ordinary people who will be the jury, we must select those who will be able to prosper our planet - not just a ruler. We need a leader who can bring prosperity and independence of this country, not the government that ordered the people to continue to save money - people are very thrifty so far!
Already 67 years of lush green country became independent beautiful eyes, would be a great irony if we can not meet up to our own needs especially in terms of basic needs of food mentioned above. Do not let the land to prosper we need more foreign hands to do it. Let us not become like the countries in Africa as mentioned above, is not sufficient to provide for its own people - but instead became a target for meeting the food needs for the people of another country.
Insya Allah hopefully we can own! ...
Source: Muhaimin Iqbal, Ketika Orang Arab Menanam Padi Di Afrika…
When the Arabs Planting Rice in Africa
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