Ethiopia launched Omo Kuraz III Sugar Factory which cost USD 290 million for construction. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea’s President Isaias Afeworki inaugurated the sugar factory yesterday. According to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the launch of the sugar factory shows the government’s ability to complete the delayed mega projects shortly. The premier noted that there had been problems in completing mega projects. According to Abiy, the sugar factory, which will produce 8,000 to 10,000 quintals of sugar per day, will serve as best development corridor for the region. He said “We need to invest more on exponentially exploiting the national potential related with commercial production like sugar, rice, sesame, wheat and maize.”

Endawek Abite, CEO of Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, said sugar projects had created job opportunities to 65,000 citizens of which 14,500 were in the Omo project.

The Omo Kuraz III Sugar Factory, which increased the number of sugar producing factories in Ethiopia and which produces three types of sugar, targets the global market.

The Omo Kuraz II Sugar Factory commenced operation in March, 2017. According to Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, Ethiopia has a potential of more than 500,000 hectares of land suitable for sugarcane plantation.

The upper & lower areas of Beles River, areas of South-West of Lake Tana called Upper Dinder, areas along Tekezzie River & its tributaries around Welkayit & Humerra, valleys of Anger River - Negiesso, central Genallie River and Barro-Gillo rivers of Gambella are among some of the areas suitable for sugar cane plantation.

Modern sugar industry was started in Ethiopia in 1951 at Wonji, 110 km east of Addis Ababa.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency and Ethiopian Sugar Corporation’s official website (http://ethiopiansugar.com)