Congolese officials have not been known to negotiate good contracts. So who got a GREAT deal, SA or DRC?
The South African farmers had been negotiating with Republic of Congo (ROC, Congo-Brazzeville). Maybe, just maybe, the reporters cited the wrong Congo. It is a common mistake!
Business Report - DRC deal gives SA farmers access to land.
South Africa had signed a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that would give South African farmers access to up to 10 million hectares of land, Theo de Jager, the deputy president of union Agri SA, said yesterday.
The deal, potentially one of the largest land agreements on the continent and part of the DRC's plan to improve food security, would allow South African farmers to lease land for maize, soya beans, poultry, dairy cattle and other produce. De Jager said: "We have signed the agreement and it's initially for a 30-year renewable lease."
The deal included tax exemptions on importing agricultural inputs and equipment and allowed full expatriation of profits. - Reuters