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continent, in South Africa and Egypt, he says.

Rabobank’s Whitehead says some
suffers from the effect that you can’t Charlie O’Brien, AEM’s vice investment in Africa is driven by
eat it and you can’t make biofuels president for agricultural services, worries about food supplies.
out of it,” Whitehead says. says export growth, mainly in com- “If you look at the fact that the
“Long term, we will see an in- bines and tractors, was helped by a Doha Round (trade agreement) is
crease in Chinese corn acres and weak dollar. But it’s also “individual taking so long to happen – if it will
Chinese corn yields.” countries, particularly Russia, that ever happen – governments are hav-
are making a difference.” Between ing to increase food security,” he says.

2006 and 2007, Russia’s machinery Saudi Arabia, for example, is

If anyone needs more evidence purchases jumped 122%. investing in agricultural areas of of a global grain rush, it comes Irrigation equipment (not part of Sudan. Further down Africa’s east from the Association of Equipment AEM) is also selling well abroad. coast, in Mozambique and Tanzania, Manufacturers (AEM.) Chris Roth, president of Reinke the Norwegian chemical company,

Last summer AEM reported that Manufacturing in Deshler, Nebraska, Yara International, is building two U.S. farm machinery exports in the reports very strong sales to Ukraine terminals for off-loading fertilizer. first half of 2008 were up 30.5% and southern Russia. Those nations border Zambia. over the first half of 2007. Sales grew “Central Africa, those countries in every major region of the world, all seem to be pretty active right including Africa. The top 10 buyers now,” Roth says. Zambia is among Ultimately, land and water will were Canada, Russia, Germany, one of the fastest developing areas, limit agricultural growth, Whitehead Australia, Mexico, France, Ukraine although agricultural development says. But there’s still room to increase United Kingdom, Belgium, and is also picking up at both ends of the yields – not only in Africa but also Kazakhstan. in more affluent developing nations