Haryana Farmers to Africa: Agri Opportunities - Khattar

Chandigarh, Jan 3 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said his government is planning to leverage the vast agricultural potential in African countries and will invite farmers willing to travel there for better opportunities.

This ambitious endeavour aims to provide new opportunities for Haryana's hardworking farming community, he told reporters here after a meeting of the state Cabinet.

Khattar said in many African nations land is available in abundance. He said recently he spoke with some ambassadors of African nations and they said they can enter into an agreement with the state in this regard.

Tracts of land will be offered where Haryana farmers can contribute their expertise and offer techniques, he said, adding that discussions in this regard with the ambassadors have been held, and once an agreement is signed, the state government will invite farmers.

"In African nations, land is available in abundance. I spoke with ambassadors of African nations and they said we can enter into MoU for 50,000, 1 lakh...hectares of land. All this discussion was verbal, but once MoU is done, things will be formalised.

"After this, we will invite interested farmers who want to go. The state government can also assist them in this regard," Khattar said.

Khattar also referred to shrinking landholding in Haryana, largely due to industrialisation, and said in a few years many farmers from the state went to Madhya Pradesh where land in several districts was available at cheap rate. Farmers went from here to develop the land there, he said.

Meanwhile, according to an official statement, following discussions with the ambassadors of the African nations, the state government is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will be exchanged shortly to formalise this collaboration.

According to the statement, farmer groups will be formed and sent to African countries where they can contribute their expertise and benefit from the vast agricultural landscapes available.

Before sending them abroad, the government will also provide comprehensive training and necessary assistance to ensure their success in agricultural endeavours abroad, Khattar said.