Uganda, Kenya ready to lease farmland to Indian firms

Uganda and Kenya have expressed readiness to lease farming land to Indian firms, in a bid to attract investments, the Hindubusinessline.com reported.

The Kenyan government has agreed to lease land with a condition that 20 per cent of revenue should be paid as an export tax,” the Indian media reported.

Meanwhile, “Uganda agreed to provide a minimum of 100 acres to each investor,” the media said.

The two countries are also looking to cooperate with India on key crops such as rice, wheat, millets, livestock, biogas, and fertilisers.

Uganda and Kenya have comparative populations of 49 million and 56 million respectively, as they also struggle to ensure their food security among adverse climate change impacts.

Leasing lands, often described as land grabbing by foreign investors, has been criticized by rights groups and environmental NGOs as destructive to local farmers and detrimental to Africa’s food security.

The emphasis on export-oriented corps meant that domestic African markets benefit little from leases.