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A farm on the outskirts of Jimma
The city of Jimma, 350 km southwest of the capital Addis Ababa, has a university, an airport, an agricultural research unit, and an industrial park with government-approved investment incentives specifically for agricultural processing.
It’s a city with potential, says Berhane Abraha, CEO of Sun Optics in Ethiopia.
“The good thing about Ethiopia is that it is growing in a balanced way; growth is not only found in the capital city, ”he says.
Berhane has built a successful eyewear business and recently founded Majestic Furniture, a local custom furniture manufacturing company.
He believes there is a gap for foreign investors to settle in Jimma.
“Most of the local entrepreneurs have a shortage of investment capital. With their available funds, they focus on fast-moving businesses, ”says Berhane. He believes foreign investors with a longer-term focus will benefit from “one of the best investments in the country” if they establish agricultural processing operations in the city.
The Jimma industrial park, inaugurated in 2018, has an area of 150ha, of which 75ha have been inaugurated, and houses nine manufacturing sheds. It was built by a Chinese construction company and is focused on attracting investors in the light manufacturing and agricultural processing sectors.
The region is known for its coffee production, but, Berhane says, there are several other crops grown in the area. Suggest processing mangoes or avocados as potentially lucrative ventures.
Jimma is the fourth largest avocado producing area in the country; other crops grown in the region include corn, sorghum, barley, legumes, tubers, and fruits.
