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Madagascar offers free land to Indian farmers

Madagascar, known for spices, rice, sugar and peanuts, is wooing Indian farmers by offering them free land for cultivation in the island nation in southeast Africa.

"The Government of Madagascar is willing to offer around 100,000 hectares farmland on the west and east coasts of Madagascar," Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Omar Abdullah told Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar on returning from his recent African tour.

The Madagascar offer came up for discussion at the conference of India's commercial representatives in the African region.

Abdullah has written to Kumar, requesting him to concretise the proposal in consultation with the external affairs ministry.

He has also suggested that some progressive farmers in agrarian states like Punjab and Haryana be roped in to avail of this opportunity.

With a geographical area of 226,700 square miles, Madagascar has a humid coastal strip in the east, fertile valleys in the mountainous central plateau region and a wide coastal strip in the west.

Besides cash crops like coffee, vanilla beans, cloves, cassava and peanuts, the island nation has related industries like meat processing and textiles.

Its democratic government is also seeking Indian investment in agriculture and the small- and medium-scale industries at attractive conditions.

UNI

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