Two South African asset management firms launched a 3 billion rand farmland investment fund on Wednesday that is expected to help boost agricultural development in Africa's biggest economy.

The China Jin Hui Mining Corporation - recently renamed Natural Dairy (NZ) Holdings - says it has agreed to buy the Crafar family farms as well as other assets including farmland, cattle, and milkpowder production plant.

"We are launching the fund with the aim of deploying up to $1 billion for large-scale agricultural projects," Beltone told Reuters.

L'ultimo caso: due aziende indiane hanno sottoscritto un accordo con il ministro dell'agricoltura e dello sviluppo rurale etiope per ottenere in concessione terreni per una superficie pari a 15 mila ettari. L'obiettivo delle compagnie è di impiantare tea e la pongamia pinnata.

Small scale farming which is prevalent in rural Tanzania has no future but instead the country needs large scale commercial farmers including those from abroad to inject capital and technology, argues Professor.

The Lao side will consider a request by Mongolia to seek agricultural land of up to 10,000 hectares to produce rice and other crops. Also under consideration is a proposal by Mongolia to develop sheep farming in Laos.

A move by Madagascar's army-backed leader to nix a huge South Korean farming deal has exposed the risks of such ventures in Africa.

Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management has started up the Macquarie Crop Fund to "acquire or lease grain and oilseed properties located in geographically diverse regions of Australia and Brazil".

In a move to attract foreign investment, Cambodia has awarded big concessions to companies, mainly from China, Vietnam and South Korea, to run mines, power plants and farms, leading to a rise in forced evictions by state officials profiting on the sale and lease of farmland for use by foreign and local companies.

Ministre de l’Agriculture par intérim, Robert Dutil, ne voit pas la nécessité d’intervenir afin d’empêcher la conclusion de ventes de terres agricoles aux intérêts étrangers

Dossier spécial du Club de Sahel / l'OCDE de 12 pages sur l'accaparement des terres en Afrique de l'Ouest

This double issue of OECD's magazine includes a 12-page dossier on land grab deals in West Africa