Two men clearing land in front of the Chinese owned New Sukala sugarcane factory between Markala and Niono. The Chinese are irrigating thousands of hectares to grow sugarcane, a crop that requires a lot of water. The land was given to the Chinese by the Malian government but the details of the deal are unclear, such as how much water they are allowed to use, especially in the dry season and if the final product is only for export to China or also to secure national demand.
