The Ethiopian Leather Industries Association is looking for supplier for non-iodized salt in the aftermath of a four month shortage. The Association is seeking suppliers from Yemen, India and Pakistan even though there is an estimated stock of 9 million quintals currently piled up in Afdera, where the national salt mines are to be found.
The industry is forced to look for imports after a four month delay in spite of more than adequate national production to meet the 30 thousand quintal demand over that period according to Abdissa Adunga, Secretary General of the Association.
The supply of salt to the industry was affected by a Council of Minister’s endorsed regulation to halt the sale of non-iodized salt noted Abdisa. The Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority was mandated with the task of issuing a directive to regulate the processing and sale of salt intended for industrial purposes according to the regulation.
The current system, however, requires the association to present Ministry of Industry authorization to the authority every month before trucks transporting industrial salt from the mines to present letters from the Ministry of Industry said Yehulu Denekew, Director General of the Authority. The authority is enforcing this measure to combat the diversion of the salt into the market he explained.
The complications with salt supply are bound to affect the production of the leather sector which is designated to be among the top ten export sectors for the current budget year.
Source: Fortune
