Danielberhane's Blog

[Compiled from Ethiopian Sugar Corporation website- inc. the maps] 

Brief note on Ethiopian Sugar Industries

Sugar Agro-industry development in Ethiopia was initially started in the so-called Wonji plains in the early 1950s.Nearly 60 years after its introduction merely 35,000 ha has been cultivated to  sugarcane and 4 small to medium sized sugar factories with a combined daily crushing capacity of 12,500 tons were installed in 3 separate locations across the country.

* Total annual sugar production is about 300,000 tons, which only covers 60% of the annual demand for domestic consumption. The difference has to be bridged through importation from abroad. As a result, per-capita consumption of sugar in Ethiopia is one of the lowest in the world with about 5 to 6 kg.

* In spite of the above facts, Ethiopia is endowed with favorable climate, enormous land and water resources for large scale irrigated development of sugarcane.

* The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has launched sugar development program to undertake new and Expansion projects across the country with a clear objective of boosting sugar production to satisfy the domestic sugar demand as well as for any possible export in the coming 3 to 4 years.

* The Ethiopian Sugar Corporation was established by Government proclamation in the 2nd day of December 2010 to undertake the responsibility of the entire Ethiopian Sugar sector development. It plays a leadership role in the development, management and marketing of sugar and its byproducts.

* Following its establishment the Sugar Corporation has launched short and long term capacity building programs targeted to support the large scale sugar development in the country. Capacity building shall focus on Research and Human resource training in sugarcane agriculture, Sugar industry and support services related to Financial management.

Development activities

At present there are four operating sugar factories in Ethiopia at three separate locations namely, Wonji-Shoa, Metahara and Finchaa on order of their periods of establishment.The oldest two sugar factories Wonji and shoa shall be scraped and replaced by new 6,250 TCD sugar factory after 2011/12 campaign year which under construction. The ongoing expansion of Finchaa sugar Factory from 5,000 TCD to 12,000 TCD shall be completed at the end of 2011.

The largest green field sugar factory at Tendaho, with daily crushing capacity of 26,000 TCD is currently under construction and its first phase of 13,000 TCD capacity is planned to be completed before the end of 2012.

Three sugar factories each with 10,000 TCD capacity are currently at design and site investigation stage. Contractors are already engaged and all factories shall be ready for operation at the beginning of 2013.

Irrigation system development and cane plantation activities along with public facilities for the above sugar factories are currently going on at a full scale to meet the sugarcane demand of the sugar factories immediately after their completion.

Capacity building

The present sugar development activity in Ethiopia demand multi-faceted capacity building program in Human resource development at various levels of the sugar industry in cane plantations and sugar factories as well as support services.

The Sugar Corporation is currently undertaking activities with full force to identify training needs and target groups in order to fulfill the skilled labour requirement of the entire sugar sector both for existing and newly coming sugar factories and plantations.

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Production Plan

The following table shows that the amount of production of each factory at the time of the project completion.

* TCD – Tone of cane per day

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Factory Installation schedule

Existing projects

New Projects

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Compiled from Ethiopian Sugar Corporation website – 2012.