Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA) said investors with a combined capital of over 7.9 billion birr have ben licensed to be engaged in floriculture development.

The number of investors showing interest to become involved in the sector has been increasing from time to time.

Agency Promotion and Public Relations Service Department Director, Aklilu Wolde-Mariam told ENA yesterday that the agency has given licences to 212 projects since 1992.

Some 66 of the flower projects are owned by local investors, one by the government, while the remaining are run by foreign investors.

When they go fully operational, the projects are expected to create 38,000 permanent and 46,000 casual jobs.

Some 50 flower companies, established with close to nine billion birr capital, have already begun exporting flower to the international market, he said. These projects have created 6,794 permanent and 12,000 casual jobs, he added.

Some 28 of the projects licensed to work in the flower sector are in the construction phase, he said, while 141 projects are undertaking various activities to receive farm plots and install other facilities.

The director further said the number of investors desire to be engaged in the flower sector has been on the rise from time to time owing to the investment friendly atmosphere and agro ecology of the country that is conducive for flower farming.