2merkato

The Privatization and Public Enterprises Agency of Ethiopia is seeking interested bidders for two of the five enterprises it is offering for privatization.

The two enterprises which have been unable to excite interest from potential buyers are the Hamaressa Edible Oil SC and Batu Construction SC.

The Commercial Printing Press, Caustic Soda Ash SC and Fafa Food Complex Warehouse were the other three companies offered for privatization at the same time.

Ethiopia is working towards improving the quality of cotton used as a main raw material in textile sectors according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

A training was launched in Benshangul Gumuz Regional state for investors engaged in cotton development with this end in mind.

There are currently investors and organized farmers developing cotton on 124,000 hectares and the ministry aims to address challenges including shortage of expertise, capital, chemical, selected seeds and other materials said Haile-Mariam Kibret, Agro-investment Support with the MoA.

Ethiopia is to conduct the first national Inter-censal Population Survey announced the the Central Statistics Agency.

The Inter-censal survey is usually conducted between major population censuses explained Samia Zekaria, Director General of the CSA. Developing countries like Ethiopia, which carries out population and housing surveys every ten years, conduct inter-censal surveys in the middle to acquire population sample data to fill the information gap she said.

Mama Fresh Injera plc, Ethiopia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and contract with the Erer Farmers Cooperative Union, the Oromia Regional Agriculture Bureau, the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency and the Oromia Regional Cooperative Promotion Agency.

The agreement will establish a partnership to launch and implement contract farming projects in Ad’a that will allow Mama Fresh Injera to source 730 MT of teff for the 2012 planting season. The agreement is planned to extend the collaboration for several years on the basis of the success of the effort and the lessons learned said the joint statement released by the stakeholders.