Punjab farmers make successful beginning in Ethiopia

Source: Punjab news line,  Saturday, 29 January 2011
PATIALA:  Large number of farmers from Punjab who gone Ethiopia to encourage investment in Africa, have succeeded in their venture. These farmers met Smt Preneet Kaur, Union Minister of State for External Affairs during her visit to Ethiopia.

A release issued here   on Saturday said that farmers have expressed their gratitude and satisfaction on getting proper guidance and so made a successful beginning in Ethiopia.

Notably, Africa had offered Risk Insurance Coverage to completely eliminate any possibility of risk in their investment in a bid to encourage Punjab’s farmers and makers of agriculture equipment & machinery to invest in African continent.

During a conference organized by ASSOCHAM -on the initiative taken by Preneet Kaur- here in March the ambassadors of Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia etc. had called upon Punjab farmers to come their countries and cultivate their land for food production.

They had called upon Punjab farmers that since Punjab’s land is loosing its fertility very fast due to excessive usage of pesticides, chemicals etc., and Punjab’s farmers should tap the African countries.

Preneet Kaur, currently in Ethiopia and led Indian delegation to the African Union Summit held at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, addressed the Ministerial Executive Council Plenary Session on Friday wherein the Foreign Ministers of 53 countries of Africa and observer countries including Australia, Denmark and Japan were present.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn expressed happiness over the increasing trend of Foreign Direct Investment from India in agriculture. He appreciated the contribution made by the farmers,especially from Punjab who have arrived there and made an exemplary progress.

During the sidelines of the Summit, she held bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of around 20 countries including South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Burundi and Libya, amongst others.