Ethiopia expects to earn an estimated one billon US dollars from the export of textile goods by the end of the five year development plant according to Sileshi Lemma, Director General of the Textile Industry Development Institute.
All stakeholders in the textile sector including investors and the government have been exerting efforts to encourage the increase in export of textile goods explained Sileshi at a one day symposium held at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center under the theme of 'Textile Industry and Its Prospects in Ethiopia'.
Special attention is given to the textile industry by the government's Industrial Development Strategy accounting for the competitive textile sector in the country he said.A paper discussing the potential challenges and opportunities in the textile sector was presented by Goshu Negash, General Manager of Vitcon Garment.
Challenges include the absence of technical and technological competence, high labor turnover, low productivity, financial constraints and the absence of sustainable and dependable markets according to the paper.
Ethiopian cotton is known for its quality but is challenged by contamination in various practices that extend from the production to the exportation stages noted Azemraw Berhanu, Senior Expert with the Cotton Ginning and Spinning Directorate speaking at the symposium.
The symposium was attended by representatives of the local textile industry as well as international participants from Kenya, Sweden and Germany.
Source: Ethiopian Press Agency
