The Ethiopian Sugar Corporation is to import 300,000 quintals of sugar beginning in February. It is estimated that sugar imports, mainly from Brazil and India, will cost Ethiopia 555 million birr including warehouse rental and transportation.
The sugar will be imported at a cost of 1,850 birr for the quintal and is expected to retail for 1,264.40 per quintal on the Ethiopian market supported by government subsides. The sugar will be sold by consumers’ cooperative unions and the Merchandise Wholesale and Import Trade Enterprise.
Six new sugar factories, to be constructed in the Southern Regional State, are 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.Two of the three sugar factories currently active anticipate expansion projects. It is reported that 50% of the expansion project on the Fincha-Shewa factory has been completed. It is anticipated that the expansion will increase the production of the factory to 173,946 tons from 75,000 tons
Fincha Sugar factory is also undertaking expansion work expected to increase its production from 110,000 tons to 270,000 tons. The expansion work on Fincha, estimated at 500 million birr is said to be 86% complete according to Engineer Ashenafi Ayalew, project manager.
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
