Addis Ababa, March 18, 2022(Walta) – EU delegation to Ethiopia stated that the next programming cycle should continue supporting agricultural transformation and agro-industrialization in Ethiopia.
Speaking at a national Agro-Business Ideas Competition (ABIC 2022) organized by the Ministry of Labor and Skills in collaboration with GIZ and the Master Card Foundation, representing EU Delegation to Ethiopia Green Deal Team Leader, Tarressa Jalata said that strengthening the role of the private sector will expand jobs in line with the new priorities of the government of Ethiopia.
Integrated Agro-Industrial parks (IAIP) development is not a matter of putting funds together because it requires a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach between partners, especially in developing infrastructure, facilitating manufacturing value addition, integrating the smallholder farmers in the value chains, he underscored.
Ethiopia needs such competitive, innovative, and committed young entrepreneurs whether they become winners or not at the competition because their idea is already valued and should serve as incentives for more innovations, he added.
The newly graduated entrepreneurs from selected universities have received training, incubation, mentoring, prototyping, and pitching supports to prepare them for the national Agro business competition, it was noted.
Labor and skill Ministry Higher Program Head Robel Samson said at the event that the agro-business national competition is an opportunity for the winners to access financial support. Each of the five winners of the competition was awarded some 230 thousand Birr, he said.
Ministry of Labor and Skills together with GIZ and the MasterCard Foundation organized the national Agro-Business Ideas Competition (ABIC 2022) for start-up companies from DebreMarkos, Adama, Bahir Dar, and Hawassa universities, it was learned.