An agro processing companies association is under establishment. According to Melaku Birhanu, General Manager at Sebeta Agro Industry plc, companies working in processing dairy products believe that establishing such an association to represent the sector is essential.
The objective of the association is to make the sector dominant and competitive within the continental and international dairy market; to work with governmental institutions such as the ministries of Trade and Industry, as well as other supportive organizations and to arrange a system that offers accurate information to customers regarding products and the market situation within the association. The association is also expected to solve the technical and practical problems that may occur during processing and other issues in the industry.
The association’s policy is designed by representatives of 32 Agro Industry Companies and cottage processors in collaborate with the Ministry of Industry(MoI), Live Stock Market Development USID (LMDUSID) and the Ethiopian Dairy and Meat Industry Development(EDMID) during a conference, held on July 10, 2014, at the Sheraton Addis Hotel. Seven members of board of directors were elected on the meeting.
The association is not yet recognized by the Ministry of Trade, according to Belachew Eurisa, manager at the Elemtu Integrated Milk Industry S.C. The ministry refused to recognize the given names for the association by the board of directors. As Belachew mentioned in a discussion between Representatives from the manufacturing sector and Ministry of Industry, held at Elilly International Hotel on September 18, 2014, the Ministry did not accept the names “Ethiopia” and “Milk” to be included.
[AddisFortune]
