The Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, made up of the Wonji Shewa, Metehara and Finchaa sugar factories in Ethiopia, produced 73,862 tons of sugar in the first two quarters of the Ethiopian fiscal year.
The sugar Corporation was able to distribute 206,372 tons of locally produced sugar in the last six months in addition to its imported stock.
The sugar factories were also able to produce 3,885,760 liters of ethanol as a by-product of sugar production to be blended with benzene to lower the costs of gasoline imports.
The three factories were in the process of expansion work up to last October and thus unable to perform at full capacity according to Yilma Tibebu, Head of Public Relations with the Corporation.Although sugar production for this reporting period was only 71% of the Corporation’s targets it expects to make up the difference in the final quarters of the year he said.
It is to be remembered that Six new sugar factories, to be constructed in the Southern Regional State, are expected to be operational by 2015 while the Tana Beles project is also expected to bring two more sugar factories on line in 2013.
Kesem Sugar factory is also being built in Afar and Welkayit Sugar development project is to operate in Tigray regional state.
The new sugar factories are expected to produce refined and raw sugar in addition to the Plantation White Sugar being produced by the existing factories.
Source: Capital
