Sweet Newsletter Vol.3. No.4 June 2015 , by Ethiopian Sugar Corporation

www.etsugar.gov.et.com || facebook.com/etsugar

Quarterly Newsletter Published by Sugar Corporation Communication Directorate:+251-(0)11-552-7475/6322 : +251-(0)11-515-1283 : 20034 Code 1000 A.A

Clan Leaders and Afar Pastoralists Held Discus-sion on Benefits of Sugar Development ››PAGE 10

Sweet Vol. 3 No. 4 June , 2015Newsletter

ARJO DIDESSA SUGAR FACTORY INAUGURATED

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne has inaugurated Arjo Didessa Sugar Factory on May 14, 2015.

The Prime Minister in his speech at the inauguration ceremony disclosed it is in a bid to make the community around the most beneficiaries that the

government took ownership of the sugar development project at the area. To accomplish this Zonal administrations of both Eastern Wollega,

KESSEM SUGAR FACTORY STARTS PRODUCTION TEST

Completing ninety percent of its factory erection works, Kessem Sugar Factory has started production test by the end of May, 2015.The factory will also enter into its regular production process within a few days.

Inside Pages

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VISION ፡ Ensuring sustainable growth, become one of the ten competitive sugar producing countries of the world in 2023

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Lives of Pastoralists around Omo-Kuraz Sugar Development Project Improving ››PAGE 10

“SUGAR FACTORIES BROUGHT US MANY OPPORTUNITIES”

Afar Pastoralists

Afar pastoralists living around both Kessem and Tendaho sugar factories disclosed that they, in many ways, become the most beneficiaries due to the sugar factories erected around their surroundings.

The factories have paved ways to pastoralists living around to get opportunities of

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ARJO DIDESSA SUGAR FACTORY ...

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Illuababorra and Jimma should organize farmers so that they could widely participate in the sugarcane plantation activity, he further noted. The youth around should work at various fields of work of the factory doing away with their contempt to some types of jobs.

Reminding the fifty thousand hectares of the cane plantation land the factory will eventually have, the Premier calls upon Ethiopian Water Works Construction Enterprise and Oromiya Water Works Construction Enterprise to facilitate the construction work of the dam so that constructing water canal infrastructures could be faster.

Sugar development sector is one among other sub industrial sectors identified to contribute a lot in making industry play the leading role in the Five Years Growth and Transformation Period of the nation, he further noted. Accordingly, Tendaho and Kessem sugar factories, among other sugar factories under construction at different regions of the country, have started test production finalizing their construction work, the Prime Minister has

also disclosed.

The Premier finally forwards his gratitude to leaderships and employees of the factory as well as to Pakistan professionals who relentlessly support with their expertise of the industry hence the factory could start production.

Director General of Sugar Corporation with a Minister

Portfolio Shiferaw Jarso on his part said the government has transferred the ownership of the factory to its own from a Pakistan Company called Al Habesh in 2013 at a cost of above 2.7 Billion Birr so that the factory has now entered into production.

Disclosing the various works the Corporation, since last year, has especially done in finalizing the remaining construction works of the factory and thereby make it ready for the inauguration, the Director General reminds the concerned bodies to exert their maximum effort to do away with the shortage of sugarcane supply the factory is encountering.

Ato Aberra Mamo, General Manager of Arjo Didessa Sugar Factory in his well coming speech on his part stated that the Factory has 1,600 hectares of sugarcane cultivated land for the current budget year while it has a plan of planting cane for the coming year on 4,369 hectares out of which cane plantation is already started at 2,300 hectares.

The gap seen in constructing the water canal structures at the required level which

tremendously hinders the villagization program of the surrounding farmers is the main obstacle in fulfilling the cane plantation plan the factory has set to accomplish. According to the General Manager the Factory has recruited the youth many in number of the surrounding area who have graduated from the surrounding higher educational institutions as well as vocational and technical training schools. Likewise, professionals trained by Metals & Engineering Corporation are also assigned in the Factory in which they could benefit themselves as well as the public in general, the General Manager has also noted.

Many citizens organized in twenty one associations of Micro and Small Enterprises have got job opportunities. And, till now 2,500 citizens have got regular as well as provisional job opportunities, he further disclosed.

President of Oromia Regional State ato Muktar Kedir, Head of Good Governance and Cluster Reform at Deputy Prime Minister Portfolio and Minister of Civil Service W/ro Aster Mamo, Minister of Transport Ato Workeneh Gebeyehu , officials of both federal as well as regional states, community members of the surrounding area and the leaderships and employees of the Factory have attended the inauguration ceremony.

Arjo Didessa Sugar Factory has the design capacity of producing 8,000 Quintals of sugar a day which latter on will raise to 12,000.

Building competitive sugar industry!

S W E E T N E W S L E T T E R

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KESSEM SUGAR FACTORY STARTS ...


Ato Worku Chekol Provisional General Manager of Kessem Sugar Factory said the plan set to the factory to work when it enters into its regular production process is eighty percent of its design capacity. The factory during its first production test period will crush 3,800 tons of sugarcane a day (3,000 Quintals of Sugar) which will latter on rise to 4,800 tons, Ato Worku added.

Up on reaching its full crushing capacity, the factory will crush 6,000 tons of sugarcane per day lifting up its annual production to 1.53 Million Quintals of sugar, it was disclosed. Due to the climate of the Geographic location of the area, the factory is expected to be in continuous production except forced to stop especially from half of July to August because of heavy rainfall, Ato Worku further stated.

According to him the factory’s two energy source turbines with 13 Mega Watt are working efficiently. And, the construction of power transmitter substation is in progress scheduled to be finalized by the end of July. Hence, the completion of the construction the power transmitter substation will not only enable the factory satisfy its own power demand but also export from 10 to 12 Mega Watt electric power to the national grid, Ato Worku said.

Till now Kessem Sugar Factory

has created regular, contract and casual job opportunities to 5,294 citizens among these more than 490 pastoralists of the surrounding areas are recruited as regular employee, he has mentioned. In a bid to ensure the surrounding pastoralists multifaceted benefit, around 463 pastoralists of the areas are allocated each with 0.25 hectares of garden land and 0.75 hectares of cane cultivated land among which 396.75 hectares is being cultivated by them, the manager disclosed.

Ato Melaku Alehegne Head of the Office of Director General of Sugar Corporation on his part disclosed the Corporation’s tremendous role in enabling Kessem Sugar Factory enter into production.

The factory’s effort to work hand in glove with stake holders at both federal and regional levels in identifying problems and setting their solutions is also the other factor that facilitates the entrance of the factory into production test, he further

stated. The consensus reached by the factory, the surrounding people as well as the police force on the issue of the area’s sugar development activity has played a pivotal role to the recovery of different machineries of the factory and geomembrane used to cover water canals which have been stolen from the factory, it was disclosed.

Recalling the government’s direction of giving priority to the benefits of the surrounding communities while running any project, Ato Melaku has stated the benefits the surrounding pastoralists are getting participating as sugarcane out growers as well as in job opportunities at the factory work units passing through training programs on various machineries. The project and the government are working to bring those with adequate educational background to leadership positions, he also said.

Ato Hassen Dawed Deputy General Manager of Public Organization and Social Affairs

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of the factory on his part said the project together with the leadership of the federal regional state has done a public mobilization job so as to come up with consensus of the pastoralists around

on the benefits of the sugar development endeavor which by raising sense of ownership among native pastoralists fosters the projects activities.

Due to the strengthened working system placed in making the surrounding pastoralists the primary beneficiaries of the

development effort, natives of the area are now working in the factory as sugarcane out growers, tractor operator, factory security officers, etc through training programs they are made to pass through while many in number are working organized in various micro and small enterprises, Ato Hassen further said.

KESSEM SUGAR FACTORY STARTS ...


“SUGAR FACTORIES BROUGHT ...”

» Continued from P. 1working as sugarcane out growers, employees of various work units of the factories, cane plantation field workers and many other job opportunities. According to the pastoralists, besides the various job opportunities the factories have enabled them to have access to social services and infrastructures moving no more from one place to another as before.

Asnna Mohamed is from Afar nationality and is one among other sixty females who wre recruited as regular employees of the “Green Development“ work unit at the compound of Kessem Sugar Factory. She said “ earlier especially women living around this area had never got job opportunities for there was no any development activity; but now employed as regular staff at the factory I have constructed my house where I can lead my life enjoying the benefits of the social service institutions and infrastructures brought to us because of the sugar factory and I am now able to

send my kids to the school built at my village”. The other women who get job opportunity as a tractor operator at Kessem Sugar Factory is Mekedes Woldie who is from Kembatta nationality. Attending the training program of both theoretical and practical at Adama University and Metehara Sugar Factory respectively, she is working now as regular staff of the factory’s cane plantation field. According to her there is a female tractor working with her passing through the training program and tells with confidence that she is capable of carrying out her duties like men staffs of same carrier. Mekedes also calls on other women to take a lesson from her experience.

Arbaei Ali is among the five women who are recruited as security officers to keep the security of Kessem Sugar Factory. Disclosing the rigorous military training she has passed through before her employment as security officer of the factory, she explains the various job opportunities the youth many in number in her village have got. According to her the factory has brought not only wide job opportunities but

also social service institutions and infrastructures. Hence, she is carrying out her job with devotion realizing the bright future the factory has brought with to the area.

Mominna Humed had been cultivating maize on the irrigable land she has been given around Tendaho Sugar Factory. But now, joining the Gablaitu Out Growers Association, she becomes sugarcane out grower being convinced that she is going to benefit more from the latter. According to her she has joined the association after participating the discussion held with management of the factory as well as concerned bodies of the regional government. She gets payment while working on her own cane cultivation land and will latter on sell her cane to the factory when it is ready for crushing.

Mominna says “I used to travel long distance to attend my class earlier; but now for there are various social institutions constructed around the area I am living, I am attending my classes at the school built near my village”. She is a ninth grade student and has planned to go ahead with her education and be



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able to work at the various work units of the factory in the future.

Ali Miei Mahi is member of same sugarcane out grower association around Tendaho Sugar Factory owning one hectare of irrigable land at which he is cultivating cane to the factory convinced of its far more benefits. Ali is attending his night shift accounting class

enrolled at Adadali Technical and Vocational College and is able to lead a better life covering his school fee from the payment he is getting working on his own cane plantation land.

Over 1.3 Billion Birr is spent to construct social service institutions and infrastructures at Dubtti District of Afar Regional State only so as to enable pastoralists of the area join the villagization program carried out there.

LIVES OF PASTORALISTS AROUND OMO-KURAZ SUGAR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IMPROVING

The lives of pastoralists living around Omo-Kuraz Sugar Development Project are improving due to the various activities the project has carried out.

According to Ato Shiferaw Jarsso Director General of Sugar Corporation at a Minister Portfolio the pastoralists living around the project, becoming self-sustained in food using

the irrigable land on which they are cultivating maize, are now capable of helping other fellow citizens around them. “Making pastoralists the primary beneficiaries

“SUGAR FACTORIES BROUGHT ...”


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where ever the canal structure c o n s t r u c t i o n reach at is the main objective of the project and this shall continue more strengthened on other areas the project will reach

at in the future”, the Director General said.

“The project will never cultivate its own sugarcane prior to making irrigable land available to the pastoralists of the surrounding areas; and this is a principle we work in line with for we have proved this more fruitful to projects too” Ato Shiferaw further noted.

Various activities have been carried out so that the pastoralists could benefit more cultivating sugarcane at the irrigable land made ready to them and supplying it to the factory, he added.

The social service institutions and infrastructures built at villages where the pastoralists have settled have enabled them to get their own share out of the overall growth the nation has registered, the Director General said.

The Omo valley is the area where the nation’s huge sugarcane plantation activity is being carried out where three asphalt roads, which in the very near future benefit the pastoralists around more, are under construction, Ato Shiferaw disclosed.

The Corporation has been giving trainings to the children of the pastoralists on various fields of work so as to enable them benefit from job opportunities the project is widely creating, the Director General further noted.

Along with making the communities around the primary beneficiaries, the Omo-Kuraz Sugar Development Project is also playing significant role in creating job opportunities to the citizens of the nation,

he also said. Recalling the long marginalization of the communities living around Omo-Kuraz Sugar Development Project, the execution of the project at the area has tremendous importance in realizing equitable distribution of the nation’s resource, Ato Shiferaw stated.

“The Omo-Kuraz Number One Sugar Factory will start producing sugar in the near future” the Director General has said on the discussion he held with pastoralists and clan leaders of the surrounding communities and went on saying “congratulation that the moment has approached at which sugar shall be produced on your own land for the first time”.

Participant pastoralists of the discussion on their part disclosed that they are happy to see the promises given to them at the start of the project made practical.

According to the pastoralists, satisfying their own demand, they are helping others cultivating maize on the irrigable land the project has given them while they are waiting for the factory to start production so that they can benefit more cultivating and supplying sugarcane.

On the other hand, the Director General of Sugar Corporation has also held discussion with executive bodies of the Pastoralists Offices at all levels of the region, it was learnt.

The participants have reached at an agreement in preparing detailed plan concerning the villagization of pastoralists at Diecha, Mienitshasha and Surma districts of Keffa, Benchimaji and Majji zones respectively working together with Public Organization Division of the project.

The constructions of three sugar factories have already started among the five sugar factories to be constructed at Omo-Kuraz Sugar Development Project while the construction of the rest two shall start by the next Growth and Transformation Period.

LIVES OF PASTORALISTS AROUND OMO-KURAZ...




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CLAN LEADERS AND AFAR PASTORALISTS HELD DISCUSSION ON BENEFITS OF SUGAR DEVELOPMENT

Clan leaders, Higher Officials of Afar Regional state and more than four hundred pastoralists from eleven districts around Tendaho Sugar Factory have held discussion on the benefits of the sugar development last May at the branch office of the factory located at Doubti District.

The center of attention of the discussion was the various benefits Tendaho Sugar Factory is giving to the surrounding communities and the issue of raising the participation of the pastoralists to larger scales. Esmaele Aliserro, Head of Afar Regional State on the occasion disclosed that the government is working to enable the pastoralists of the region join the villagization program and thereby ,having access to social service institutions, lead a better life.

The sugar development besides creating job opportunities has also made a golden opportunity available to pastoralists to supply sugarcane to the sugar factory working as out growers. Stating the tremendous contribution the pastoralists will make to elongate this opportunity and raise the productivity of the

sugar development, Aliserro calls up on the pastoralists to continue their participation at a greater scale.

Speaking on the occasion son of Sultan Ali Mirah- Ato Habib Ali Mirah on his part said the FDRE government has carried out various works on all regions hence the country could do away with the poverty it has been leveled for. Pastoralists living around Tendaho Sugar Factory have to participate in the sugar development at a larger scale and contribute their part in the nation’s overall poverty obliteration move, Ato Habib further added.

Participants of the discussion forum on their part disclosed that the sugar development has enabled them join the villagization program and live in villages which helped them enjoy the services of social institutions and infrastructures. Mentioning the 2,740 hectares of cane cultivated land they acquired organized in associations, they said their level of participation as well as the benefits they are getting from the sector is growing.

As per the government’s plan 25,000 out of the 50,000 hectares of land to be cultivated at Tendaho Sugar Factory in total will be carried out by the surrounding pastoralists organized in sugarcane out growers associations. And, currently organized in six associations at Asboda and Boyina villages, pastoralists are cultivating sugarcane at 1,119 hectares of land, it was learnt.

The factory which has already started test production has created regular, contract and casual job opportunities to more than 14,000 citizens and 5,571 of them are from Afar nationalities including others born at the region.

One out of the two-phased construction of Tendaho Sugar Factory is now, completing its construction, carrying out test production while work of the second phase is to continue. Up on completion of their final construction works and reaching their full production capacity, it will be a factory with production capacity of 26,000 quintals of sugar a day making its annual production capacity six million quintals.

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FEDERAL SUGAR INDUSTRY RESEARCH COUNCIL ESTABLISHED

Federal Sugar Industry Research Council is officially established on April 30, 2015 by the workshop carried out at the Head Office of Sugar Corporation.

Ministry of Technology, Ministry of Education, higher educational institutions and other stake holders are members of the Research Council.

The Council is expected to lead and consult the various research works which will enable the nation’s sugar industry become competitive enough at international level.On the speech he made during the formation of the Council Shiferaw Jarsso , Director General of Sugar Corporation with a Minister Portfolio said applying the technological findings of the research on the industry at the required level and amount will help ensure the competitiveness of the sugar industry in a sustainable manner.

To produce the human resource trained in sugar industry as well as sugarcane plantation science including other professions , higher educational

institutions are made to enter to work crafting new curriculum based on the experience of the countries which have a leading role in sugar industry at international level, the Director General has said.

Along with producing the required human resource to the sector, the educational institutions are expected to engage themselves in introducing, improving and inventing technologies which will help ensure the productivity and competitiveness of sugar factories and projects around them, Ato Shiferaw also stated. The Research Council will have tremendous benefit in making the research works of the higher educational institutions focus on the problems of the sugar industry and also in enabling them become fruit full enough in avoiding stereotype research works, Shiferaw further added.

All stakeholders are expected to contribute their own part to attain the goal the Council is set for, The Director General finally said.

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LABOR UNION ESTABLISHED AT CORPORATION LEVEL• THE UNION WILL HELP THE CORPORATION FULFILL ITS MISSION,

BENEFIT EMPLOYEES.

Employees of Sugar Factories, Sugar Development Projects and Head Office of Sugar Corporation have established their Labor Union at the Corporation level.

The general meeting held on June 19, 2015 at Head Office of Sugar Corporation was attended by 156 executives, assembly as well as audit committee members of the sectoral associations of sugar factories, sugar development projects and head office representatives. During the meeting, members of the association’s council, executives and of the audit committee were elected.

The general assembly is concluded by electing Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Secretary General of the Corporation’s Labor Union.

Director General of Sugar Corporation at a Minister Portfolio Ato Shiferaw Jarsso, on his opening remark said the establishment of the labor union at the Corporation level, boosting the productivity of the sector, will also help the employees to stand together in fulfilling the corporation’s mission and hence benefit better.

The corporation will work hand in glove with the union and give every support needed from its side, the Director General further indicated.

President of Ethiopian Labor Unions Confederation Ato Kasahun Follo on his part said, the Government and citizens of the nation expect a lot from the sugar development sector of the country. Hence, the labor union will play a crucial role to fulfill these expectations, he further noted.

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Sweet Newsletter Vol.3. No.4 June 2015 , by Ethiopian Sugar Corporation

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