afrol News, 5 March - The government of Cape Verde is promoting the set-up of agricultural companies by the archipelago's farmers. This commercialisation of agriculture should "boost rural development," the PM holds.
Meeting with farmers in a rural district on the island of Santa Cruz this week, Cape Verde Prime Minister José Maria Neves promised government support for cultivators wanting to follow the archipelago's bold land reform programme. The scheme foresees normal landowners and cultivators to set up agricultural companies to reorganise their business.
According to PM Neves, farmers setting up an agricultural company would be able to draw more revenue from their share of land, getting better access to modernisation of farming techniques and get a better vision of the market.
"We will provide funding for farmers to start their own businesses, boost the economy in rural areas, creating more jobs and develop the island as well and all rural areas of Cape Verde," said Mr Neves. In this, the micro-credits were to play an important role, he announced. It would further lead to a better organisation of farmers, accordingly making it easier for the government to work with the agricultural sector.
"Organising the production, choosing in seasonal crop-marketing, organising the maintenance system and the entire market network, farmers can earn much more and the market could be supplied throughout the year with various types of products," added Cape Verdean Minister of Rural Development, José Maria Veiga, who also participated at the meeting.
The Minister promised that training would be carried out for farmer wanting to establish a company. The newly introduced government policy to promote corporatisation of agriculture was to be presented to farmers all over the country, and training would be provided at all sites.
In contrast to most African countries, land ownership is quite clear and well mapped in Cape Verde, with much being on private hands. This makes a corporatisation possible if farmers take interest in the government scheme.
Only a few countries world-wide run a corporate model for agricultural land ownership, making the Cape Verdean reform a social experiment worth following.
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