Egyptian companies seek African land deals: Abaza

By Roberta Rampton

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Farmland deals in Africa inked by private Egyptian firms could help the import-dependent nation get access to grain when markets spike, Egypt's agriculture minister said in an interview on Thursday.

Amin Abaza said he does not believe it's the proper role for government to invest in farms abroad but it can help private companies secure fair deals.

"This is going to be a private initiative, but the government, if it has the possibility to encourage this and stand behind them, it will do that," Abaza told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Food Prize forum.

Egypt is the world's top wheat importer and relies on foreign supplies for almost half of the 14 million tonnes it consumes each year.

Fears of climate change and shrinking water supplies have prompted Gulf states and others that require food imports to try to secure farmland in Africa and elsewhere.

The deals, commonly called "land grabs," have been criticized as risking displacement of small-holder farmers.

Egyptian firms have made some investments in Sudan and there is interest in Ethiopia and Uganda, Abaza said.

Depending on how many companies get involved, Egyptian firms could strike deals for a "couple of million acres" of farmland, he said.