Uganda body-shops for Indian farmers

Wanted. For lucrative overseas projects in Uganda. Not software engineers and professionals. But farmers.

Rich experience in paddy cultivation, capacity to make an investment of Rs 400,000 is a must....

Body-shopping for Indian farmers is Hyderabad-based Visu Consultants which has tied up with Give and Take Group of Companies of Uganda.

The idea is that when everyone is making a killing by migrating to greener pastures, why shouldn't farmers make a fortune by turning virgin lands green.

Advancing this argument, Visu Consultants chairman C C Reddy said Ugandan lands are extremely fertile and yield at least 25 per cent more than the most fertile lands in India. Besides, farmers will get a very good price for their crops, he said.

As the country gets good rainfall, very little investment is required for creating irrigation facilities, he added.

Reddy said 100 farmers will be initially given 50 acres each on a 15-30-year lease after they sign an agreement.

At the end of each year, the Indian farmer keeps 50 per cent of the profit, giving 30 to his Ugandan counterpart. Ten per cent each will go to Reddy's company and his Ugandan partner.

While Reddy claims the response to the advertisements released in local newspapers is overwhelming, former N G Ranga Agriculture University vice-chancellor M V Rao, who was associated with agricultural development work in Uganda as a World Bank consultant, sounds a word of caution. The agricultural prospects are bright, but there could be a threat to Indian farmers's life and investment, Dr Rao said.