Friday, April 11, 2008

India to support Africa’s food security projects

by Jo Black

India has offered its unstinted support to the African nations in their quest for food security, with Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Union External Affairs Minister, extending India’s total support in agriculture extension, livestock development, fisheries, horticulture and climate change projects.

Addressing the business session of the India-Africa Forum Summit, Mr. Mukherjee said, food security was one of the critical issues facing the world, particularly developing countries. The problem has been aggravated by the prices of agricultural commodities which were ruling high globally, he said. The session was organised jointly by FICCI and CII with the Heads of State and Government of African countries in the capital today.

The challenge before Indian trade and industry was to broaden the ambit of trade, apart from increasing direct investments into Africa, Mr. Mukherjee said, adding that currently, India’s exports destined for Africa accounted for merely 7.7 per cent of its total exports while imports from Africa constituted 7.6 per cent of its total imports.

The External Affairs Minister said, India’s intention was to enter into long term and sustainable partnership with African countries, with a special focus on capacity building and skill development. He said, India would set up training centres in Africa in areas such as trade, IT, entrepreneurship development, education, gold and diamonds

Mr. Jakaya, Mrisho Kikwete, President of Tanzania and Chairman of the African Union, pointed out that India’s interest in Africa should be a long term engagement, not to exploit the natural resources of the continent, make huge profits and run away.

Indian companies must transfer the skills and the technology to the African people, he said, while assuring industry that the African nations would create conditions inhospitable to corruption. He advised Indian business to desist from corruption of any sort, as “often, businesses offer bribes to get work done.” Business needs to show commitment and observe corporate social responsibility, he said.

Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, President, CII, noted that African governments today look towards Indian companies for value add solutions that facilitate the conversion of the natural resources into productive assets. By this, Indian businesses have assumed a key role in enhancing Africa’s manufacturing and farm sector competitiveness. Along with knowledge transfer, Indian businesses in Africa are also gearing up for various local capacity building initiatives supported by skill development programmes.

 

 

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