An internal advisory note to TAU SA members in response to the numerous queries about commercial farming in the Congo, puts a new spin on the reality of these opportunities. TAU SA urges farmers to take these into account before making hasty decisions.
The availability of farming opportunities in the Congo for South Africa’s white commercial farmers has been in the news lately. Several African countries have approached TAU SA over a period of time with such proposals. TAU SA has expressed its concern about certain aspects for which no guarantees could be provided.
The question TAU SA has asked each delegation is: why should we trust you this time? While having unbelievable potential, Africa has over a period of time shown that guarantees can unfortunately not be built into agreements with Westerners keen on building a future in these countries.
TAU-SA’s mandate is to negotiate a sustainable future for commercial farmers. It’s not part of our strategy or policy to export farmers. Should a farmer consider farming elsewhere, TAU SA had always spelled out the realities to place these so-called opportunities in perspective.
Agricultural conditions not ideal:
- Rainfall is admittedly high, but spread over two rainy seasons which means irrigation may be necessary.
- The climate is humid, resulting in produce spoiling easily.
- Storage space is limited for the amount of food which can be produced.
- Rail facilities would be unable to handle the amount of food produced.
- Soil preparation (clearing bush) will be necessary before anything can be planted.
- Pests and plagues flourish in the tropical climate.
No support services:
- Lack of cooperatives supplying essential equipment or spares.
- Financing is practically non-existent and banking facilities aren’t readily available.
- No agricultural expertise is available.
- Agricultural equipment must be brought in.
- Practically no mechanical knowledge is available because a new farmer is largely dependent on himself.
- No spares are available because everything has to be imported at great effort.
- Technical support is poor.
- Tax implications must be thoroughly factored in.
Political stability not guaranteed:
- Any contract or agreement is with the government of the day and not necessarily of any value when the government changes.
- Property rights (agreement of use) aren’t permanently guaranteed.
- Rebels continue to be active in the Congo as in other countries.
- Few governments govern effectively far from urban areas.
Not without crime:
- Local communities don’t necessarily recognise the new farmers’ claim to land.
- Crops aren’t safe. If it can be eaten, it’s eaten.
- And the incidence of theft is high.
- Bribery has a significant impact on input costs.
- Poor infrastructure:
- Roads are in a poor condition, especially in the rainy season.
- Electricity provision is variable.
- Fuel supply is very unreliable.
- The railroad transport system is deficient.
- Not all harbour facilities are capable of properly loading and shipping cargo.
Markets access strained
- The great demand for food exceeds the ability to pay for it.
- Food is very expensive, but so are input costs.
- It’s extremely difficult to get produce to a more stable market because of deficient infrastructure.
- The market is unable to handle relatively high volumes.
Your family’s prospects:
- Health services are highly deficient, with diseases such as malaria, cholera and yellow fever.
- Schools are low quality and the Congo has no English-medium schools.
- Language creates a huge problem especially in the Congo where French is spoken.
- Farmers should do thorough homework. At first glance it seems many opportunities exist and nobody can deny this. However, the price to be paid to exploit these opportunities may sometimes be very high.
Make an informed decision
A frequently asked question is why farmers haven’t exploited these opportunities over the years if they’re so good? Farmers who did try, have in many cases paid a high price. Western expertise did get involved in mining and oil exploitation, but agriculture’s been largely avoided. Should a farmer consider going, it would be worthwhile talking to farmers who’d been there to eliminate paying unnecessary school fees. As one farmer remarked, “Is this another Dorsland Trek?” – Translated by Chris Nel. |fw
