These days, the practice of greenhouse technology, a framed or inflated structure covered with transparent or translucent material to protect plants from adverse climatic conditions such as extreme temperature, wind, cold, radiation, insects and diseases, and grow in a controlled environment – is becoming more popular in production of agricultural goods. Particularly, because it helps to grow better quality and higher economic value products as well as to carryout year-round cultivation, many farmers are showing interest to employ the technology to produce delicate plants thereby generates foreign currency.
In Ethiopia, the technology is utilized widely in horticulture and flower farms. The Amhara Pipe Factory (APF) is also producing the greenhouse sheets/ green house films and supplying to local market. However, as most of the farm owners import the materials, the Factory faces challenges in selling its products to local and regional markets at the desired level.
Adem Dawud, Factory General Manager said that the Factory is currently manufacturing competitive transparent films which can be used in cultivation of flowers and vegetables and cut flowers. The products have of good thermal, mechanical and optical properties that make them ideal for protecting crops, enhancing growth, and meeting the varying needs of growers in Ethiopia. According to him, Factory’s greenhouse films are made of polyethylene with improved mechanical properties, stabilized Ultraviolet (UV) protection and antidrip properties.
Available as lightdiffusing cover films, they offer UV different radiation penetration levels, and also contain anti-dust additives that reduce dust absorption. Despite the fact that the product is competitive and the factory has a potential to earn hard currency by supplying the products to Africa’s market, it produces merely 20 percent of its capacity because of the challenges it has encountered – market linkage and power outage as well as foreign currency crunch. “APF’s greenhouse films are produced with high quality raw materials and state of the art machines, and meet international standards,” he noted.
As to him, even if the product could assist to boost horticulture and flower industry’s productivity, many of local farm owners are not well aware of the Factory and its products. “We need the active involvement of all pertinent stakes to support the Factory and promote its products as it has its own part to realize nation’s effort of transforming from agriculture-led economy to industry led.” Mentioning that the horticulture export sector has shown quite an exponential growth in the last decades he said that currently, there are 126 investments in Ethiopia in the export of flower, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
And the farms occupy nearly eleven thousand hectares’ of land. According to him, Ethiopia now has 72 active flower farms and the country has become the second largest flower producer and exporter next to Kenya. There are also 19 operators engaged in large scale and modern fruit production and 31 vegetable exporting farms throughout the country. This creates a huge market to AFP because of its proximity, competitive quality and realistic price.
Unfortunately, most of the farms are importing the greenhouse sheets, he reiterated. Such kind of act apart from harming the performance of the Factory and costing the country a huge amount of hard currency, it limits nation’s agriculture efforts and beyond. So stakes should rush to address the hurdle early, he further said. Samuel Halala, Chemical Construction and Inputs Industry Development Institute Director General on his part said that efforts are underway to address the challenges. The Institute is planning to raise the production capacity of the Factory from 20 to 80 percent and create an opportunity that enables it export its products to African markets.
It is also working to undo the shortage of foreign currency, erratic power supply and solve tax and custom related issues, he added. “APF is producing high quality import substitution materials that meet international standards and it can boost nation’s agriculture productivity in horticulture and vegetable sector.”
To make this happen, the Institute is working with pertinent stakes – the National Bank, Ministry of Finance, farm associations and investors engaged in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables and flowers, among other to rein in the challenges APF is facing, he concluded. Yohannes Dinakyehu, Trade and Industry State Minister for his part said that APF is producing high quality competitive greenhouse sheet. And the Ministry is ready to undo the market and tax related matters working with pertinent stakes, he added.
The Ethiopian Herald May 22/ 2019
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
