Yirgalem Integrated Agro Industrial Park (IAIP) announced that it was ready to lease 97 hectares of developed land to investors who wish to join the park.

The park went operational in March 2021 after four years of construction which began in March 2017. The park currently has 11 sheds and twenty local and foreign investors have signed agreements to invest in the park while four of these investors have already started production. Jojo Milk is among the companies which are currently operational in the park and supplying their products to consumers.

Companies in the park have also established backward linkages with farmers to procure inputs for their products. One of these companies is a Dutch company which is linked with 88,000 farmers and supplies its avocado oil to European markets.

Yirgalem IAIP is named after Yirgalem town where it is situated on 294.5 hectares of land. The town is located 318 km from Addis Ababa and 43 kms from Hawassa. When it becomes fully operational, the park is expected to have 152 shades and host 57 factories. It is also hoped that it will create employment opportunities for 400,000 citizens.

Source: Addis Zemen