Saudi investors eye Tanzanian farmland

[Kleptomaniacs]

Mh! Watanzania tulivyokuwa mbumbu! eti tunafikria kila ardhi inayoonekana inafaa ama matumizi yake ni kilimo tu! yaani wewe ukipanda ndege unachokiona ni ardhi tupu! ebu acheni wendawazimu wenu! ardhi Tanzania ipo katika makundi makubwa matatu, ya vijiji, hifadhi na jumla. Ardhi pekee ambayo mwekezaji anaweza pata bila kuleta athari kubwa sana ni ardhi ya Jumla ambayo ni asilimia 2 ya ardhi iliyopo iliyobaki yote ni ama ardhi ya kijiji ama ya hifadhi. Ardhi ya kijiji jumla yake ni karibia asilimia 70 na kitu, ilyobakia yote ni hifadhi. Sasa sio kila pori ni ardhi ya kilimo! halafu wengine mnaongea as if hii nchi ni ya wakulima tu! mnasahau kuwa Tanzania tuna wafugaji nao wana mchango wao mkubwa katika uchumi pamoja na mateso na manyanyaso wanayopewa!

Haihitaji mtu kusoma shahada ya uchumi kuelewa kwamba kwa vyovyote vile ujio wa hawa Wasaudia hauwezi kuleta tija kwa nchi katika msitakabali tuliokuwa nao, kama wanataka kuwakomboa kweli wananchi wakulima masikini, wakiwezeshwa na serikali wanaweza kuzalisha kwa makubaliano na kwa kuwa soko litakuwepo hiyo ni motisha tosha kwa mkulima kufanya kazi na hata ikibidi kuzitafuta fedha za kuzalishia! acheni bla blah zenu ni midhaha itakayotufikisha pabaya! mnatuletea mambo ya akina Mangungo haki ya nani hapatakalika hapa. Mambo mangapi tumewaaminia hawakuweza kuyafanya?

Jambo la pili la kuangalia ni kuwa macho na huyu mkwere!simwamini kabisa huyu anaweza kutwaa na kuwapa wasaudia ardhi ya wanavijiji eti tu kwasababu sheria zenyewe zimekaa vibaya hasa pale linapokuja suala la kulinda haki za ardhi, hatuna security of tenure hata Waziri alisema tuna haki ya matumizi tu!maana yake nini? HATUNA HAKI YA UMILKI! kwahiyo Rais kupitia uwezo wake wa milki ya hatima(Radical title) anaweza kutwaa na kufanya lolote alitakalo! sasa wengi wetu kwa kuwa hata hatujui juu ya hilo huwa tunajikuta tunatupwa nje ya maeneo yetu na kuambulia fidia.
Haya KIGAMBONI si yamewakuta! kama kungekuwa na nia ya kweli kumkomboa mwananchi kungefanyika partnership nikiwa na eneo langu waje tukubaliane na mie nakuwa na share na mtaji wangu ni ardhi, hapo tungeelewana kuhusu hizo faida sio huu ujanja ujanja wa kufanywa manamba na mijitu inashangilia hili!

 

[Petu Hapa]

Well, naona tumechelewa sana Bush (Kichaka) kesha nunua eneo tayari na watu humu walisifia hatua hiyo.. Zawadi na ahadi alizopewa Kikwete zilikwenda na baraka zote, leo imekuwa Saudia it's heading news!..

Wana JF, Kukodisha nchi yetu ni kosa haihitaji nani aliyekodisha na mara nyingi sana tusikubali kusukumwa na vyombo vya dini ktk maswala ambayo yanaweza kabisa kutugawa...
Ikiwa wawekezaji wanaruhusiwa ku lease ardhi yetu basi iwe sheria kwa kila mtu aliye qualify na sio kundi au taifa fulani tu ndio wanaruhusiwa..Sipendezewi na anayoyafanya Kikwete lakini swala la Saudia kuwekeza ktk kilimo sio la kwanza na yapo mataifa yame lease ardhi tayari kwa kilimo. Hao wazungu wana tofauti gani na huyu mwekezaji toka Saudia au ni jina la nchi au dini yao ndio tatizo haswa! -Tuambiane ukweli.

Makosa yamefanyika mengi, na kila kitu kinamwanzo na mwisho kaka! Hili la ardhi lazima tuweke suluhu! Kugawagawa ardhi kama peremede kuishe, hasa hasa hiyo miaka yao 99.

 

[Petu Hapa]

Mtapewa uchaguzi, aidha wa Kenya waje kutumia ardhi yetu au Wasaudia. Kwa vile watu hawataki Wakenya basi jibu ni Wasaudia! Mkandara kasema principle hapo.. once you pick and choose on the principle then the principle will unpick you!

Tunaweza kufuta makosa!

 

[Petu Hapa]

Mh! Watanzania tulivyokuwa mbumbu!

Haya maneno siyapendi haya! kama watu unaona watu hawaelewi waeleweshe tu! kujiita mbumbu nikujiua kisaikolojia.

 

[BAK]

Saudis request for 500,000 hectares

By The Citizen Reporters and Agencies ​

Saudi Arabian investors want to lease 500,000 hectares of farmland in Tanzania to grow rice and wheat.

The Saudis made the request during President Jakaya Kikwete?s visit to the Kingdom that ended yesterday. Senior officials from the Saudi capital's chamber of commerce came up with the request on the sidelines of a meeting with the Head of State.

President Kikwete is reported to have told the Saudis that Tanzania could lease them plots that covered up to 10,000 hectares each for 99 years.

"Tanzania is ready to do business with you ... There is 100 million acres (40.5 million hectares) of good arable land," Reuters quoted Mr Kikwete as telling the Saudi businessmen.

The Citizen yesterday spoke to several prominent individuals, who welcomed the development but called for a systematic approach, saying the country?s interests should come first.

Senior economist Ibrahim Lipumba said promoting agriculture was important, but added that such investments required concrete policy direction. Mr Lipumba is also chairman of the opposition Civic United Front.

The president of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Mr Aloys Mwamanga, called it "good business", provided collateral benefits for the country were taken into account.

Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) executive director Emmanuel ole Naiko said such an investment would create many jobs for locals, adding that he expected the Head of State to refer the Saudi investors to TIC.

"We already have policies on contract farming and outgrowing. We have the Land Act of 1999. All these will be adhered to. It's a fact that we have abundant land and there are already institutions renting land to local investors to farm for a specified period of time," Mr ole Naiko noted in a telephone interview from abroad.

Reuters reported yesterday that Saudi businessmen and officials would visit Tanzania in the next few weeks to follow up the matter. The Saudis are interested in leasing the equivalent of about 0.5 per cent of Tanzania's land surface because of the country's geographic proximity, political stability and availability of water resources and farmland.

"He (President Kikwete) told us that Tanzanian authorities can lease us plots each of which covers up to 10,000 hectares for a 99-year period," Mr Samir Ali Kabbani, head of the chamber's agriculture committee, told Reuters.

"They can lease the land from the Government," Mr January Makamba, an aide to President Kikwete, also told Reuters.

The Saudis are not alone in this since in the face of food shortages and with demand for biofuels growing, an increasing number of wealthy nations are buying up land in developing countries, particularly in Africa, to ensure a steady supply of crops.

High-ranking officials from many of these nations have been on the road since March 2008 in a diplomatic treasure hunt for fertile farmland in places like Uganda, Brazil, Cambodia, Sudan and Pakistan.

The idea, which has been called a "new scramble for Africa", is not without its critics, who question why Africa should lose valuable farmland when it is chronically short of its own food.

Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and now Madagascar have all recently offered vast tracts of farmland for lease, hoping to cash in on a growing trend whereby developing countries from Ukraine to Cambodia offer fertile land to the highest bidder.

Qatar plans to lease 40,000 hectares along Kenya's coast to grow fruit and vegetables for its own citizens in return for building a ?2.4 billion (Sh3 trillion) port close to the Indian Ocean tourist island of Lamu. The plan has, however, met with stiff opposition from activists.

Prof Lipumba said there was nothing wrong with leasing land to foreigners in a country where less than 10 per cent of arable land is under cultivation, but added that such investments should come through TIC, and not private requests to the President. He said he expected the Saudis to create jobs for locals and bring into the country modern farming methods.

"The issue of promoting agriculture is primary. What we currently need is a transparent policy on foreign direct investment in the sector. The policy should lay down conditions that protect national interests," Prof Lipumba added.

Mr ole Naiko said the Saudis had already shown interest in farming in Tanzania, but the latest development could lead to the biggest land-leasing agreement with foreign investors. He said such a project would be beneficial, but cautioned that the sensitivity of land matters in the country needed to be keenly considered.

"A contingent of large-scale farmers from Saudi Arabia visited us about two months ago, and made a request to lease land, but we told them to wait for results of the feasibility study of the project. We are still trying to find out whether there are people willing to lease out land or not," he noted.

 

[MwanaHabari]

lazima lijadiliwe na wananchi kabla ya kuahidi mambo muhimu ya ardhi kama haya...

 

[Petu Hapa]

lazima lijadiliwe na wananchi kabla ya kuahidi mambo muhimu ya ardhi kama haya...

Maswala ya mijadala yatatupeleka pabaya tunachohitaji ni maamuzi ya jumla. Kwanza ardhi yetu haikodishwi miaka 99, pili ardhi ndio mali tuliyonayo na tunahitaji kuilinda, tatu, serikali ndio ifanye ardhi mtaji wa uchumi, nne waendesha uchumi huo ni sisi wenyewe! ... Tulikileta mchezo 40 years from now tutakuwa ZIMBABWE! mbaya zaidi sisi wamiliki wa kigeni ni mseto

 

[Semilong]

Watanzania wabishi. Foreign capital ni muhimu kwa nchi kama Tanzania. Kama waSaudi wanaleta capital, waacheni waleta capital.

Haya mambo ya watanzania watafanya hivi au vile sioni maendeleo yake. Mfano mkubwa ni Standi ya mabasi Ubungo. Investor wa Tanzania anachojua ni kukusanya mapato tu na hakuna maendeleo mengine.

watu walio sign mkataba wa ubungo ndio hao hao walio sign barrick, TICTS, richmond, IPTL na ndio hao hao watakao sign mkataba wa mashamba, tutawaamini vipi this time to get it right.

wamiliki wa ubungo ndio hao hao walio sign mkataba wa ubungo kwa hiyo usiwafananishe na wawekezaji wa ki-TZ.

kuna wafanyabiashara kibao wa TZ wangepewa ubungo wangefanya mambo mazuri sema tuu wao hawajipendekezi serikalini.

I strongly disagree with you kwamba wafanyabiashara wa kitanzania hawafanyi vizuri, ambao wasio fanya vizuri ni wale ambao wanashirikiana na viongozi au ni viongozi wenyewe....

kuna wafanya biashara ambao wanafanya biashara zao vizuri tuu na hamna haja ya mimi kuwataja....

unadhani mfanyabiashara ukitaka kulima TZ itabidi uonge ile mbaya mpaka upatiwe 10,000he

kamala anafanya kazi kweli, hatutaki wakenya watachukua ardhi yetu.........
wakenya watakuuzia mazao wasaudia watapeleka kwao...
double standard, wakenya au wasaudia kazi kwenu....

 

[Sober]

Mh! Watanzania tulivyokuwa mbumbu! eti tunafikria kila ardhi inayoonekana inafaa ama matumizi yake ni kilimo tu! yaani wewe ukipanda ndege unachokiona ni ardhi tupu! ebu acheni wendawazimu wenu! ardhi Tanzania ipo katika makundi makubwa matatu, ya vijiji, hifadhi na jumla. Ardhi pekee ambayo mwekezaji anaweza pata bila kuleta athari kubwa sana ni ardhi ya Jumla ambayo ni asilimia 2 ya ardhi iliyopo iliyobaki yote ni ama ardhi ya kijiji ama ya hifadhi. Ardhi ya kijiji jumla yake ni karibia asilimia 70 na kitu, ilyobakia yote ni hifadhi. Sasa sio kila pori ni ardhi ya kilimo! halafu wengine mnaongea as if hii nchi ni ya wakulima tu! mnasahau kuwa Tanzania tuna wafugaji nao wana mchango wao mkubwa katika uchumi pamoja na mateso na manyanyaso wanayopewa!

Ndugu yangu, sioni ulazima wa lugha ya kejeli uliotumia, wengine wamebase michango yao kutokana na hali halisi ya sasa, mfano wa source za taarifa ni tovuti ya chombo cha umma tuliokipa dhamana ya uwekezaji mkubwa . Tazama hapa: Welcome to Tanzania Investment Centre Website

Ukipita huko na kuangalia kwenye Agriculture sector, utaona watu wanatoa michango based on prevailing laws and regulations za nchi. Kama hukubaliani nao, ningeshauri ukaanza harakati na hizo regulations badala ya kukejeli watu.

Otherwise utaishia kukomaa na keyboard, wakati kanuni zilizopo zinaruhusu, tena kwa kufagilia hayohayo unayodhani hayapo.

 

[Mag3]

Hivi kweli bila kumung'unya maneno kuna mwana JF anayeamini kuwa serikali ya CCM, chini ya JMK, inaweza kusimamia mkataba utakaotanguliza maslahi ya taifa ? Kumbukeni kuwa Wasaudia hawakuona haja ya kutufuata na kutuomba - ni sisi tumewafuata kwao ingawaje wao ndio wanatafuta ardhi. Kwa mtaji huu mkataba wowote ni kiini macho.

Ni kweli kuwa Saudia pamoja na mafuta yao wameshindwa kuiendeleza eneo la Jangwa waweze kujitosheleza kwa chakula kama walivyoweza kufanya Wayahudi. Si ajabu sasa hivi kukuta wapalestina wakililia ardhi yao iliyotekwa na wayahudi wakayaendeleza na hivi sasa wanavitazama kwa macho ya husuda. Waarabu na kilimo - wapi na wapi.

Hapa asidanganywe mtu - kuna ajenda zaidi ya ardhi !!​

 

[Susuviri]

Hivi kweli bila kumung'unya maneno kuna mwana JF anayeamini kuwa serikali ya CCM, chini ya JMK, inaweza kusimamia mkataba utakaotanguliza maslahi ya taifa ? Kumbukeni kuwa Wasaudia hawakuona haja ya kutufuata na kutuomba - ni sisi tumewafuata kwao ingawaje wao ndio wanatafuta ardhi. Kwa mtaji huu mkataba wowote ni kiini macho.

Ni kweli kuwa Saudia pamoja na mafuta yao wameshindwa kuiendeleza eneo la Jangwa waweze kujitosheleza kwa chakula kama walivyoweza kufanya Wayahudi. Si ajabu sasa hivi kukuta wapalestina wakililia ardhi yao iliyotekwa na wayahudi wakayaendeleza na hivi sasa wanavitazama kwa macho ya husuda. Waarabu na kilimo - wapi na wapi.

Hapa asidanganywe mtu - kuna ajenda zaidi ya ardhi !!​

Mag3 mkuu, nimekubali ulichosema in this case, but we cannot dismiss outright eti wawekezaji wa kigeni wasije, huku ni kurudi nyuma kimawazo. The time has come that Tanzanians we have to be confident na tujue tunachokifanya, then tutakuwa kama nchi zilizoendelea where they are not worried about technicalities they are looking at the BIG PICTURE

 

[Jasusi]

Mag3 mkuu, nimekubali ulichosema in this case, but we cannot dismiss outright eti wawekezaji wa kigeni wasije, huku ni kurudi nyuma kimawazo. The time has come that Tanzanians we have to be confident na tujue tunachokifanya, then tutakuwa kama nchi zilizoendelea where they are not worried about technicalities they are looking at the BIG
PICTURE

Susuviri,
Hata mimi naunga mkono wawekezaji wa kigeni. Lakini lazima tuwe makini.
Mbona marafiki zetu India na China wamekaribisha wawekezaji ambao wamewezesha hizo nchi kuinuka technologically and production-wise?
Lakini siuiti huu mtaji wa Saudi Arabia kuwa ni uwekezaji. Wenyewe watalima chakula ambacho watapeleka kukiuza kwao. Sisi labda tutaambulia rent tu kama ilivyo hivi sasa na makampuni ya madini. Challenge kwetu ni kwamba tunajua kuna soko la mchele Saudi Arabia, kwa nini hatutafuti namna ya kuwawezesha wakulima wetu kama yule wa Mbeya aliyetembelewa karibuni na waziri mkuu, wazalishe zaidi tuuze Saudia? What are we going to get out of this deal mbali na rent? Tutasifiwa tu katika takwim kuwa Tanzania is a major producer of rice kumbe ukweli sivyo...as it is now with gold

 

[Zungu Pule]

Hivi kweli bila kumung'unya maneno kuna mwana JF anayeamini kuwa serikali ya CCM, chini ya JMK, inaweza kusimamia mkataba utakaotanguliza maslahi ya taifa ? Kumbukeni kuwa Wasaudia hawakuona haja ya kutufuata na kutuomba - ni sisi tumewafuata kwao ingawaje wao ndio wanatafuta ardhi. Kwa mtaji huu mkataba wowote ni kiini macho.

Ni kweli kuwa Saudia pamoja na mafuta yao wameshindwa kuiendeleza eneo la Jangwa waweze kujitosheleza kwa chakula kama walivyoweza kufanya Wayahudi. Si ajabu sasa hivi kukuta wapalestina wakililia ardhi yao iliyotekwa na wayahudi wakayaendeleza na hivi sasa wanavitazama kwa macho ya husuda. Waarabu na kilimo - wapi na wapi.

Hapa asidanganywe mtu - kuna ajenda zaidi ya ardhi !!​

Timu ya wataalamu/negotiators kutoka Saudi Arabia ilitembelea Tanzania miezi miwili iliyopita - to present their case. Source: www.thecitizen.ac.tz

 

[Jasusi]

Zungu,
Hiyo link haifunguki, yakhe!

 

[Petu Hapa]

wanaojua maswala ya ardhi kwa kina, je mnajua hali ya umiliki ikoje kwa sasa katika hayo mafungu matatu ya ardhi? wenyeji vs wageni? na yatumikaje? Ardhi ya jumla imebaki kiasi gani, ama ndio wameanza kufuata za vijiji! Kwenye hifadhi kukoje? umiliki wake je! - well sio umiliki- haki ya matumizi-- ndio huohuo umiliki-- miaka 99.

 

[Zungu Pule]

Zungu,
Hiyo link haifunguki, yakhe!

I am sorry! It's The Citizen Daily Newspaper

 

[Kahinda]

Yebo Yebo,
Kuna wakati nilikwenda Guatemala ambako Marekani imechukua mashamba makubwa tu ya ndizi, Chiquita, Dole, n.k ambazo unakuta zimejaa kwenye super markets zao. Fikra zangu wakati huo ni kwamba hawa wakulima wa Guatemala must be rich or well to do kwa kuwa wana soko kubwa tu la ndizi Marekani. I was wrong. Kilichotokea ni kwamba hayo mashamba yanamilikiwa na kampuni za Kimarekani ( kama ambavyo Wasaudi watamiliki mashamba tutakayowaruhusu ku lease kwa miaka 99) na Watanzania tutabaki kuwa ma campesino tu au wapagazi wa kuchota maji katika mashamba hayo.Huu si uwekezaji utakaomsaidia Mtanzania kujikwamua na kujiongezea kipato chake. Hatutafaidika na soko la mchele au ngano Saudia kwa sababu wanaomiliki mashamba si Watanzania. Are you getting my drift? Anayetajirika na ndizi za Guatemala si Mguatemala. Ni corporate America. We are going to find ourselves in the same situation.

NOT YET UHURU hicho kilikuwa kitabu alichoandika odinga oginga leo hii tunayaona.

 

[macinkus]

wakati tunapat uhuru, tulikua watu milioni saba tu. miaka 48 baadae tuko kama milioni 50 hivi. sasa tukiwapa waarabu ardhi kubwa kiasi hicho kwa miaka 100, wakati tutakuwa tumeongezeka na kuwa kama milioni 150 hivi, ndio tutakua tumefanya nini. saudi ni janwa naa hawajui kulima, sasa huo utaalamu wameupata wapi wa kulima ngani? hivi sisi tunaweza kupata hata kiwanja tu cha kujenga Uarabuni. Mungu atuweke na ujinga wetu.

macinkus

 

[Andindile]

Huo ni wizi mtupu. Mtu anasema zitapatikana ajira. Ajira kiasi gani hizo. watachukua hekari hizo na kutumia machine na kuajiri watu labda kumi hive. Hizo ndio ajira tunazopapatikia wakati kuna watanzania kibao are landless au wanamiliki nusu eka au eka moja. Kwa nini wasizigawe kwa watu ambao hawana ardhi? Kwa kweli tunacheza kidalipo kwenye maendeleo. Na akina Mwamanga na Naiko wanaunga mkono na kuipaipamba kisa hoja imetoka kwa raisi.

 

[Semilong]

Ingekuwa vizuri sana kama kainzi ka JF kangepata huu mkataba kabla haujasainiwa....
pia waandishi wahabari TZ ambao mnasoma JF mnatakiwa muanze kuulizia juu ya huu mkataba

je saudia wanaweza kukuruhusu uchimbe mafuta halafu ujiuzie mwenyewe......

miaka 99 ni mingi sana....
wapewe miaka 33 with an option to 66 provided they fullfill all the condition of the deal

nimeona picha msafara mkubwa kweli bendera za TZ kila kona...