Ethiopia has significant salt deposits according to studies conducted at various times said the Ministry of Mines. The resources are estimated to be sufficient for more than 100 years said the ministry.
The studies conducted show that the salt resources are to be found in parts of Afar and Somali regional states explained Bacha Fuji, Director of the Public Relations Directorate of the Ministry. The Dalol area in Afar Regional State is particularly notable for large salt reserves he said.
Efforts are underway to begin salt exports to generate foreign currency from the sector noted Bacha. Four companies currently engaged in salt production secured more than 30 million US dollars from the export of salt in the just concluded fiscal year he added.
More than 388,000 quintals of salt was also supplied to the domestic during the same period but more need to be done to effectively make use of the resource according to Bacha.In related news the Ministry of Trade that more than 3.1 billion US dollars in revenue in the just ended financial year.
The revenue was secured from the export of 1.25 million tons during the reporting period, Amakele Yemam, Director of Public Relations and Communication Directorate of the ministry. The income was 14.8% higher than the 2.7 billion US dollars earned in the previous fiscal year he said.
Exports included coffee, cereals, spices, meat, oil seeds, horticultural products, cotton to countries such as China, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Switzerland, Djibouti, USA, Italy and the Netherlands.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
