Plantations underway for Omo Kuraz sugar projects

Jinka, April 11 (WIC) – Sugar cane plantations are underway on 6,000 hectares of land in southern Omo zone for the six Omo Kuraz Sugar Factories project in the Rift Valley area.

The government has allocated land for sugar cane plantations in Kuraz wereda, while construction of the sugar factories is carried out on the side. The government has earmarked 225 million dollars for each of the six sugar factories that will be constructed by the Metal and Engineering Corp (MetEC).

“The sugar cane plantations underway on 6,000 hectares forms part of the 15(?) hectares we plan to cover annually for five years,” Tilahun Deneke, head of the Omo Kuraz Sugar Development Project Office, told WIC.

At present, Ethiopian Waterworks Design & Supervision Enterprise (EWDSE) and the Southern Ethiopia Design & Supervision Enterprise (SEDSE) are finalizing the study and design of the Omo Kuraz Sugar projects.



As part of the project, construction of a village for employees, roads and irrigation reservoir are underway.

Various government institutions of the SNNP region including, Road Authority, Water Construction Enterprise and Housing Development Enterprise are taking part in the projects.

Tilahun said a joint committee comprising of government offices at all levels and other stakeholders have been set up with a view to making these projects inclusive and thereby tackle possible challenges.

According to Tilahun, a joint committee comprising of government offices at all levels and other stakeholders has been set up with a view to making these projects inclusive and thereby tackle possible challenges.

“When completed the projects will create a massive employment opportunities for local communities,” Tilahun told WIC.

It will also create an opportunity for animal husbandry for the predominantly pastoralist community from sugar by-products as well as from irrigation agriculture, he said.

“The community will have a sustained economic way of life,” Tilhaun told WIC.

The Omo Kuraz Sugar Factories Project forms part of the 10 sugar factories the government plans to construct across the country by the end of the GTP period.

Under the GTP, the country plans to increase sugar production to 2.3 million tonnes. Out of this, 1.2 million tonnes are to be exported.