ADDIS ABABA – The Sheger bread project is ready to be up and running in two weeks time, said Horizon Plantation plc Ethiopia.
The project aims at alleviating the shortage of bread in the city and stabilizing the ever-growing price of bread, according to Addis Ababa Mayor’s Office.
As per the Project Manager, Sisay Debebe, they are putting efforts to finalize the necessary works and start operation in the coming week. However, the delay of transformer and absence of power may further hold the opening day.
Sisay indicated that the factory has already hired graduates of electrical, mechanical, chemical engineering students from higher institutions and Tegbare-Ed Poly-technical College for the machine installation.
He further noted that as finding graduates of food processing engineering on the market is a bit tough, the factory has made contact with the University-Industry linkage groups of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (ASTU) and was able to hire competitive fresh graduates.
As for the labor and nonprofessional workers, the factory is recruiting various organized youth groups.
Apart from the temporary employees who are currently involved in machine installation, there are about 60 temporary nonprofessional workers in the factory.
“Though we were forced to replace the robot testing team since they could not be present due to the lockdown, the factory is trying its best to do it by domestic professionals.” Wheat, transformer and others necessary material are on their ways to the city, according to the project manager.
The factory, which is owned by Horizon Plantation Ethiopia Plc, is a subsidiary of MIDROC Investment
Group, and it is expected that the factory will have the capacity to produce 80,000 loaves of bread per hour, and, will supply 100 grams of loaf of bread to the market for 0.75 Ethiopian birr, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald May 13/2020
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
