Is it feasible to hire Chinese to grow food on a large scale if they contract land in Africa?
The history of food cultivation in China has been thousands of years, can be said to have accumulated a wealth of experience, and our country is also focused on the development of the three agriculture, every year the central government’s No. 1 issue is mostly the three agriculture issues, it can be said that in the past, whether it is farming or food cultivation is promising, then, in Africa or not feasible? I think it is important to consider three aspects.
The first aspect is the natural environment. Our planting techniques in China are based on our domestic climate, and there are two main climates in our continent, one is the temperate monsoon climate and the other is the subtropical monsoon climate. It can be said that both climates are characterized by almost four distinct seasons, which is still very advantageous for growing food, except for watering and fertilizing accidents, we hardly need to worry about it.
However, Africa is different, Africa’s main climate has three kinds of climate, respectively, tropical desert, tropical grasslands, tropical rainforest, these three kinds of climate in the tropical desert don’t even think about it, the grass is not long. The savanna climate I think is not suitable for growing food, because the rainfall is too low, and our country’s Inner Mongolia is almost the same, if you can grow food, then you have already planted. The only thing that can grow food is tropical rainforest, but tropical rainforest climate is located in a relatively small area, moreover, there are mostly some tropical rainforest, is the lungs of the Earth, the United Nations clearly to protect the area, naturally impossible to give us to grow food. Even if we were to be given the right to grow food, it is still unknown whether our planting techniques would be suitable for the different climates.
The second problem is the human environment in Africa. The culture and customs in Africa are very different from those in China. Many places in Africa are still tribal and backward, and they still live a nomadic and hunting life. If we Chinese go there to cultivate land and grow food, it may be considered as blasphemy or encroachment, and it may even turn into an international dispute, which will cause a big problem.
The third is the issue of cost. Our domestic food prices have been low for the past few years, and so has the international market. That is to say, we can barely get by with growing food domestically, but what if we go to Africa? We don’t consider anything else, just the shipping costs alone are amazing. The local infrastructure in Africa is not good and sourcing locally is already impossible, only transportation. In addition, hiring Chinese people to farm in Africa is considered labor abroad, and the cost of labor is probably several times more than at home. Just these two costs alone are much more than at home.
In summary, based on a combination of the natural environment of Africa, the human environment of Africa and ultimately the cost of food, I believe that it is not feasible to hire Chinese people to grow food on a large scale if they contract land in Africa because the combination of the three factors leads to uncontrollable costs.
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Tender Henry, researcher at a technology company, and creator of three agricultural fields.
01-30 11:03
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Thanks for the invitation.
Logically, there’s nothing wrong with this operation, and there should have been similar situations before. However, there should still be a difference between growing grain and growing grain on a large scale, and whether it can be practically operated.
First, climatic conditions and natural environment
If you grow food, let’s start with the feasibility, first of all, with the weather conditions. In fact, this part of Africa is quite advantageous. Borrowed from the monitoring and analysis of surface vegetation map, it is not difficult to see that, in addition to North Africa is a desert, white, in central and southern Africa, in fact, the soil and vegetation conditions are still very good, scrub, grasslands, grasslands abound, can grow grass, but also can grow bankers, which is necessarily the basic conditions for large-scale agriculture.
In terms of weather conditions, the central and southern parts of Africa, with abundant rainfall, some areas closer to the equator, and warmer temperatures, the weather conditions are also ideal for food production. According to some online accounts, in Africa, certain countries and regions have very good soil conditions, even more fertile than the black soil in the northeast of China, to engage in food and farming, is very suitable for, and has great potential for agricultural production.
Second, infrastructure development
Let’s talk about what I personally understand to be the more impractical aspects, such as infrastructure. To engage in large-scale food production, not unlike opening a small vegetable garden in Africa, to scale will not be without mechanization, mechanization must have some minimum infrastructure conditions. For example, irrigation, water storage, transportation, basic farmland these.
Even if the weather conditions in Africa are very much in place, depending on the weather can also let the grain have a good harvest, but at least a simple water storage, drainage facilities are also useful, after sowing at least have to water a little. The bigger you are, the less you need these facilities.
Secondly, transportation must be able to survive. Reference to our model, the wheat harvest when the harvester has to run from south to north, otherwise to the crop harvest if the harvest can not be completed in time, a rainfall over it is finished. Even if this is not considered, you also have to consider, after the grain harvest, if transported to the market or transported to the port, which time and transportation costs it. Brazil’s soybean production is so high, and every year it is criticized for its poor roads. So, if you want to be rich, build roads first, wherever you are.
Also, basic farmland. Africa, unlike our country, has thousands of years of farming habits, resulting in billions of acres of ready-made agricultural farmland. In Africa, if you carry out food production on a large scale, you have to clear land for farming. It’s true that you have to encroach on a lot of pristine grasslands. In Brazil, for example, the Amazon rainforest is destroyed to grow soybeans, and in Indonesia, the same forest is destroyed to grow palm trees, but in Africa, you have to sacrifice the natural environment to get farmland. Think of the natural environment that has been created over many years and the wildlife that depends on the savannah for its survival, is it really worth it to get this little bit of food? Personally, I really don’t think it’s worth it.
III. Social environment, people and humanity
As a question, you want people’s land to grow food on a large scale, and at the end of the day, you’re still an outsider and it’s impossible not to look at the owner. There are more African countries, some of which are relatively wealthy, but many are still very backward. As for what kind of temperament the little African guys are, I haven’t experienced it personally, but from some of the online rhetoric and some of the movies introducing Africa, the environment can really not be good.
You have to have a big heart to be able to withstand it. Or, you see the grain is almost ripe on your side, and then overnight, many tribes and horses come and harvest your grain without any reason. Is it any wonder you’ve got some more town hall and demolition squads armed to Africa too? But these may really be no joke.
Food production takes months to a year to cycle, and without a stable environment, these jobs really aren’t easy.
Fourth, the costs and expenses
Seeds, fertilizer and land rent are costs that must be taken into account in large-scale farming. In relatively developed countries, seeds and fertilizers are locally sourced, with many varieties and species, but in Africa, if there is a lack of local modelling manufacturers, these may have to go by sea, and the freight cost to Africa is a lot more expensive than from North and South America. Of course, the cost of land is lower, but how do you plan to digest the grain you grow? Or part of the supply of Africa self-sufficient, or provide some to the Middle East, the remaining if shipped back to the country, then inevitably go by sea. The sea freight is another expense. Therefore, from a comprehensive point of view, some aspects may be able to save some costs, but the overall cost may not be much cheaper than the traditional imported grain from Australia, the United States, South America and Russia, and the transportation time is relatively long. In terms of costs and expenses, whether it is cost effective to grow food in Africa or not, we have to calculate an economic account in detail.
Fifth, some relevant political factors
Unlike countries like Brazil, Argentina and Australia, the land is vast and there is only one government. In Africa, if farming is to be carried out according to the physical geography, it can be a complicated matter to consult and negotiate with many countries. Each country, out of its own interest, and then some rules and regulations, the business is definitely not as simple and convenient as it seems.
For example, if you want to transport grain from one country to another port country, if the relationship between the two countries, can not get by two to say, may have to pay a tariff first, what do you see the complexity.
In addition, you send so many farmers, people with so much land for production, inevitably, the international community will use the words “invasion, colonial” to make waves. If there are a few African anti-government factions that are simple-minded enough to organize marches, demonstrations or other radical activities because of this, the problem may not be so easy to handle. Even if your farming skills are good enough to feed the whole of Africa.
So personally, I think that Africa is certainly a region with agricultural potential, but can we adopt this kind of thinking as the question, at present should be a worth exploring and pilot program. Perhaps the better way is to drive the African brothers to start putting down the AK47, picking up the hoe, spreading sweat and passion on the land, self-renewing into a new global food producing country, and participating in the international food trade is the optimal outcome.
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