More radical steps are being taken to increase production, both by the government, which recently approved two new strains of genetically modified rice, and by agricultural entrepreneurs, who are buying and cultivating land in neighbouring countries.
"Despite a December 23, 2009, Interfax press report that President Nazarbayev instructed the prosecutors to punish those who disseminate information about the sale of land to foreigners, opposition leaders have continued to advocate against the transfer of land to China," reports the US Embassy in Astana
LA ONU ha presentado un estudio en el que informa sobre la masiva compra de tierras que países poderosos, e incluso multinacionales, están llevando a cabo en África.
La véritable nouveauté semble être le déplacement de l’épicentre de la spéculation de l’économie virtuelle vers l’économie réelle, précisément l’agriculture de marché, qui est non pas un facteur de sécurité alimentaire, mais la source même de péril climatique, d’insécurité alimentaire, et d’insécurité tout court.
The Pontal project has 30.000 ha of total area, with 8.000 ha irrigable. It will have a huge impact since it will be the first PPP of Lula government and will settle the framework for another 500.000 hectares.
"The People's Republic of China (PRC) is encouraging Chinese private enterprises to invest heavily in Sudan's agriculture sector, Lee "Ali" Wei Zheng, Commercial Officer for the Chinese Embassy, told PolEconOff February 3," reports the US Embassy in Khartoum
Foreign investors from China, Korea and Singapore have expressed their readiness to invest in the projects to cultivate including paddy to supply for domestic demand.
Despite government assurances, the possibility that China could possess Kazakhstani territory leaves many citizens skittish
The government is aiming to attract less than Rp 100 trillion (US$10.6 billion) in investment through the development of three special economic zones (SEZs) producing agricultural products this year.
The high potential in rice investment has intrigued not only China, which is Cambodia's biggest donor, but other donors as well, such as Kuwait, Korea and Japan—given the country’s agricultural sector is the nation’s backbone economy.
Many see the desire for Kazakhstani agricultural land as another tentacle of Beijing's creeping imperialism
"They (the government) borrowed $13 billion from China and now they want to pay it back with our land," Bolat Abilov, a leader of the opposition party Azat, said at the rally. “No Chinese soya beans on the Kazakh land!” shouted one protester.
