Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the Integrated Agro Industrial Park which is located in Central Eastern Oromia, Bulbula area and which is one of the four projects commissioned by the government. The Premier also visited the rural transformation center which is also being constructed in Shashemene, Oromia.

Four projects to build pilots of IAIPS in Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and Southern Nationalities and Peoples Region regional states were initiated by the government of Ethiopia. These IAIPs will play a crucial role in speeding up the rural transformation and in introducing agricultural change.

The Premier stated that the country would benefit a lot if Diasporas organize and invest in the development of industrial parks.

IAIPs will provide modern infrastructure, and support services to companies, as well as provide opportunities for skills development, and help attract domestic and foreign investment. Four such parks are being established within the framework of the Program for Country Partnership for Ethiopia.

Aiming to support the IAIPs Rural Transformation Centers (RTC), which are aimed to be used as raw material aggregation points in the catchment areas of each IAIP, are being constructed. They include warehouses, input supply, sorting, grading, extension services, and pre-processing activities. The RTC which is being built in Shashemene is expected to provide fruits and vegetables, wheat, barley, haricot bean, fava bean, tomato, potato, dairy fish, poultry, honey, and meat to the park.

The Premier stated that the best practice gained from the IAIP which is being constructed in Bulbula and the rural transformation center in Shashemene will be expanded to other areas.

In order to speed up rural transformation, the country plans to build 17 IAIPs nationwide.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency and UNIDO’s official website