Countries in Africa have invited the Indian fertiliser industry to set up phosphatic fertiliser plants and agro-processing units. They have sought India?s cooperation for technology transfer in boosting farm production. ?There is a large deposit of phosphate at Tororo in Uganda and we invite Indian companies to set up phosphatic fertiliser units,? said the country?s minister of state for fisheries, Fred Mukisa. He also sought India?s assistance in setting up a dairy plant . The Tanzanian minister for agriculture, food security and cooperatives, Stephen Masatu Wasira, also invited Indian industry to take advantage of the deposits of phosphate and natural gas in the country.
Indian fertilizer cooperative, Iffco, has already set up a joint venture with El Naser Mining Company in Egypt to produce 0.465 million tonne phosphoric acid in Egypt. It has signed a MoU with Jordon Phosphates Mines Company for producing 1,500 tonne phosphoric acid. Iffco holds a 19%-equity stake in Industries Chimiques Du Senegal for manufacture of phosphoric acid and phosphatic fertilisers. Iffco has a 25% equity holding in Oman India Fertiliser Co for production of 1.9 million tonne of urea and 1.264 tonne of surplus ammonia. It has signed a long-term offtake agreement with Australia?s Legend International Holdings Inc for 5 million tonne of concentrated rock phosphate. All these efforts are aimed at augmenting the availability of phosphatic fertilisers that are in short supply in India.
?We have developed seeds of high-yielding crops, but we need India?s assistance in seed multiplication. We are also interested in importing tractors and spare parts from India. We need Indian expertise in textiles, in construction of irrigation infrastructure and assistance for preparing technical feasibility reports for the promotion of bio-fuels. We are also interested in inviting Indian investments for processing of cashew nuts, cotton, tea and fruits,? said Wasira. Ministers from African nations visited New Delhi for a two-day India-Africa seminar on sustainable food security which concluded on November 12 organized by Iffco and the Union agriculture ministry. Participants included representatives from Angola, Benin, Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Eritrea, Mozambique, Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Tunisia, Malawi and Tanzania participated. Indian agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar invited African students to pursue their studies in agriculture universities in India. He suggested exchange of germplasm for research and trade between India and African nations. He said his government was working on the work plan for cooperation submitted by Uganda.
The vice minister of Angola, Jose Amoro Tati said his country was eager to sign a MoU with India on farm cooperation. Rwanda’s agriculture and animal resources minister, Christophe Bazivamo said : “India can gain by selling technology to African countries. This cooperation can be extended to include exchange of germplasm in different crops and strengthening of public-private partnership in agriculture production, processing and marketing.”
Malawi’s deputy minister for agriculture and food security, Frank Tumpale Mwenifumto narrated how his government’s new policy of input subsidy could transform the country from food deficit to a net exporter of food. He said that motorized pump sets imported from India could augment the irrigation facilities.
