The Yirgalem Integrated Agro-Industry Park, which is scheduled to be the newest addition to a file of industry parks sprouting across the country, will start operations in three months. 

It has now been a year since the construction of the industry park started in March, 2017. The Yirgalem Industry Park, which rests on 294.5 hectares of land, will house at least 59 sheds, and will create 393 thousand new jobs when it goes fully operational, according to the industry parks development cooperation office of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s regional state

Natnael Million, integrated agro and special industry parks operation administration director at the the corporation, said the construction of the first phase of the park is nearing completion. Recruitment of investors is underway and so far three foreign investors have been making preparation to start production, he said.

Biru Wolde, CEO of the corporation, pointed out two factories will begin avocado and honey production in April. The company that built the avocado processing plant has already contracted 53,000 avocado framers, he added. The company’s avocado products will be presented both to the local and global market, while the honey products of the honey processing plant are intended for the local market only.

The Yirgalem Integrated Agro-Industry Park will commit to processing vegetables and fruits that are widely grown in the region, coffee, avocado, meat and dairy products, among others.

Sources: Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels, Fana BC