2merkato

Premium Print plc is to build a factory with the potential to produce 40,000 toner cartridges annually in Ethiopia.

The company, in partnership with EC Solutions, A British company, plans to substitute the import of toner cartridges into the country as well as to export to the regional market.

Premium Print launched the assembly of toner cartridges three months ago with a monthly production rate of 200 cartridges at a workshop it is renting until it acquires land to build its factory.

Fafa Foods SC has become the first company to produce full cream milk powder in Ethiopia.

The company has introduced ten new products including, flour, instant yeast, soya milk corn flakes and a range of snacks since it was turned over to new management.

Fafa is working to meet local demand through import substitution with locally prepared alternatives costing an average of 40% less than the imported varites said Dr. Berhanu Mosissa, Director of Sales and Marketing with the company.

Ethiopia revealed plans to develop 46 additional projects in the textile industry by 2015 to increase the revenue from the sector to 2.5 billion US dollars at the end of the time.

It is expected that six of the projects will become operational during the next financial year with a further 18 being launched in the year after; the remaining 22 will be operational in the years up to the end of the 5 years GTP period, 2015.

Two of the anticipated projects are expected to be cotton ginning industries; four are spinning industries, a knitting industry, seven weaving and one finished woven textile industry.

Metal industries in Ethiopia need to implement Non-Destuctive Testing technology to ensure that products meet international standards according to Dr. Abdul Nasser, Industrial Technology Section Head with the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

NDT technology is a mechanism to guarantee quality and allow industrial products to gain competitiveness on the global market he said at a training held in Addis Ababa.

The technology will contribute toward the development of the industrial sector in developing countries noted Dr. Nasser.

The Saygin Textile Dima Textile factory is to begin operations in Ethiopia by the end of this month.

The factory is expected to produce yarn and fabric for both the local and export markets including acrylic, cotton, linen, wool and textile fibers according to Turan Ahmet Turan General Manager of Saygin Dima.

The factory expects to enhance production by focusing on weaving and products such as sweaters, socks and linens.