Capitalethiopia.com
(Addis Ababa) - Ethiopia: Second largest flower farm budding
The signing agreement for the
second largest flower and horticulture investment project in Ethiopia,
valued at 1.5 billion ETB, was held on Monday January 28, 2008 between
Oromia Investment Office and Shadi plc..
According to Legesse Geleta, a senior expert in Oromia Investment Commission,
this kind of investment is the first near Ambo town of West Shoa Zone.
He added that the project is the second largest flower investment in the
country next to the south east Oromia based Share Ethiopia, a Dutch investment
near Zeway town.
Shadi plc is a Dutch and Indian joint venture with a capital of 1.5 bln
ETB and aims to produce flowers on four hundred and ten hectares. According
to Legesse the project will create job opportunities for more than six
thousand employees.
Alemu Semae, the Commissioner of Oromia Investment Commission, said at
the signing ceremony that this investment encourages other investors in
the area. He mentioned that horticultural investment was weak in the area
and that this could be a major step in changing that trend.
The President of the Ethiopian Horticulture and Flower Association (EHFA),
Tsegaye Abebe, told Capital that around seventy two companies in the country
exported flowers in 2007 and that the number is fast approaching eighty.
He also mentioned that 125 mln USD was earned from the export. “We
have a plan to double exports this year,” Tsegaye added.
In a related development, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi held discussions
with flower exporters at his office on January 28, 2008. Meles said that
the government would scale up on-going efforts to search for more international
markets. The government would attach due attention to expand the country’s
flower export market to Russia, Japan and Far Eastern countries in addition
to the Netherlands and Germany.
Meles assured participants that the government is ready to provide all
the necessary incentives for those investors who would want to be engaged
in the sector. He also affirmed the government’s commitment to solve
any land and finance related problems in the sector. He said it would
also provide due attention to the provision of short and long term trainings
with a view to alleviating the shortage of professionals. In addition
to the floriculture sector, Meles went on to say, the government would
provide attention to the fruit and vegetable sectors.
By Muluken Yewondwossen
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