Addis Ababa — The Industrial Development Parks Corporation (IDPC) said the industrial parks operating in different parts of the country have created market opportunities to over 300,000 farmers.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Corporation Marketing and Communication Department Head Zemen Jonedi said the IDPC created opportunities for nearby communities, especially for farmers as they supply agricultural products as raw materials or inputs to agro-processing industries operating at the industrial parks in different parts of the country.
In this regard, the market linkages have been created for over 300, 000 farmers in different parts of the country to supply their agricultural products to the nearby industrial parks and this has benefited them enormously, the department head elaborated.
He mentioned that more than 15,000 local farmers are benefitting from supplying avocado produce to Jimma Industrial Park for oil agro-processing industry.
With total area of 75 hectares, the Jimma Industrial Park(JIP) which isin the South-Western part of Ethiopia has four sheds on 5,500 m2 of area and 5 sheds on 11,000 m2 of areas.
Furthermore, the head said that over 280,000 farmers are also supplying their cereal crops, particularly, barley for Bole Lemi Industrial Park and Debre Birhan Industrial Park malt agro-processing industries.
Chinese companies are also seeking to engage in camel diary production in Semera Industrial Park to also benefit pastoralists as camels are abundantly raised in Afar region, he mentioned.
Research and development activities on seed multiplication with a view to substituting imported flax as an input for the production of woolen clothes are being carried out at Adama Industrial Park with agricultural research center and stakeholder, he revealed.
Factories in industrial parks are engaged in various productions including textile, apparel, agro- processing, manufacturing, pharmaceutical among others, he said, mentioning, investment flow is increasing, especially following the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement.
Noting almost all 11 industrial parks are operational, he pointed out activities are being carried out to restore Mekelle Industrial Park while Kombolcha Industrial Park has already resumed its activities following the restoration of peace in the area.
