Addis Ababa, 18 May2015 (WIC) – Following the completion of the first phase of the project, the factory has begun grinding sugarcane last week, Kesem Sugar Factory Development Project said.
in his exclusive interview with WIC, General Manager of the project Worku Chekol said that Kesem Sugar Factory, which is under construction with a costs of 1.2 billion EB, is one of the new projects planned to satisfy sugar demand and enhance foreign currency.
The factory is expected to produce 6,000-7,000 quintals of sugar per day, he said, adding that in the first phase of the project 13 thousand hectares of land became cultivated by sugarcane.
In line with this, preparations to cultivate 10 thousand hectares of land are accomplished, he said.
The project also creates job opportunities for about more that 4 thousand citizens, the manager said.
Since its beginning, the project has been ensuring the benefits of the people residing around it, he said adding that 108 households pastoralists have now participating in producing their own sugarcane.
The project has also planned to expand the participation of the pastoralists in sugarcane production by engaging about 755 households in the near future, WIC learnt.