Ethiopia provides 71,000 hectares to investors
Meron Tekleberhan
Ethiopia has provided more than 71 thousand hectares to 12 Ethiopian and international investors in the previous financial year according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The land is designated for the cultivation of industrial crops primarily cotton plantation said Esayas Kebede, Director of Investment Support and Monitoring Director at the Ministry of Agriculture.
It is expected the cultivation of industrial crops will help support the domestic textile sector. The development of sugar, cotton, palm and gum tree plantations are particularly given priority according to Esayas.
The land provided to investors is to be founded in the Amhara, Benshangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Oromia, and the South Regional State.
It is to be remembered that There are one million hectares available in Ethiopia suitable for Jatropha development according to the Ministry of Water and Energy.
The land is to be found in the Benishangul Gumuz, Oromia, Tigray and Southern regional states according to Bizuneh Tolcha, Director of Communications and Public Relations with the ministry.
The development of Jatropha, alongside other bio-diesel plants, is already being implemented by investors on area of 85 thousand hectares of land of which 4 thousand hectares are covered by Jatropha he explained.
Jatropha plantations cover 5000 hectares of land in Oromia while more than 200 million Jatropha seedlings have been transplanted in the Amhara Regional State and 17.6 million Jatropha seedlings have also been transplanted in Tigray Regional State noted Bizuneh.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
