ADDIS ABABA- Ethio-International Footwear Cluster Cooperative Society LTD has planned to export its leather products to Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Mesfin Gebretsadik General Manager of the Cluster told The Ethiopian Herald that the company has joined forces with pertinent leather processors to success the plan. “We are working with over 250 members of the sector.”
“It is possible to us to penetrate the international market at a competitive price as we are established as Cooperative Society,” he said.
He also added that there is a potential to expand leather production of the company by harnessing the country’s enormous potentials.
However, he said the cluster has been working by importing materials like shoe soles, glue, and other inputs; especially inputs used to increase the quality of the products are not accessible at local market, he added.
Belete Tsegaye, group leader of marketing directorate at the Leather Industry Development Institute also said that there is a discrepancy between the country’s leather supply potential and actual supply of leather to industrialists.
The cluster have capacity of manufacturing 500-800 pair of shoes, more than 5,000 pair of Upper, up to 500 full leather bags and other leather products, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald January 17/2020
BY YESUF ENDRIS
