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The local wing of Flora Eco Power, the Germany giant
bio-fuel producer, is keen to work with 60,000
resettled farmers in the west Harerghe Zone of the
Oromia Regional State. The company wants the farmers
to cultivate castor seeds on a 22,000hc plot of
land.
The Oromia Disaster Prevention and Preparedness
Commission (ODDPC) envisages resettling 108,000
farmers by providing them 2.5ht of land each, in
the east and west Harerghe Zones in its five year
resettlement programme. Flora wants the farmers to
devote a hectare of their holdings to the growth
and supply of castor seed, which is an input in the
making of bio-fuel, an energy source that is
increasingly gaining global popularity these days.
Having discussed the outreach scheme planned by
Flora, the Oromia Investment Commission and ODDPC
appear to have been swayed into supporting the
project.
“The settlers will make a deal with the company and
grow the plant,” Chala Hordofa, commissioner of the
ODDPC told Fortune. “We want the settlers to
benefit from this scheme.”
Through its resettlement programme, the ODDPC has
planned to resettle 13,000 farmers in the first year
of the five year programme.
Registered in Ethiopia in March 2007, Flora is set
to invest 150 million Br for this project. This is
part of the 671 million Br the company has projected
to invest in Ethiopia. The Oromia Investment
Commission has granted 10,000ht of land in east
Harerghe zone, 557Km east of Addis Abeba. Flora also
has installed a bio- fuel plant on 15ht of land in
Fadis, east Harerghe.
Flora was established 43 years ago by three
brothers; Alan Hovev, Evan Hovev, and Ayal Hovev and
their father. It now provides a supply of oil to the
bio-diesel market. The company’s five year plan
targets an annual production of 700,000tn of oil by
2011.
Hector Kotic, CEO of the local division of Flora,
told Fortune that his company would provide
the settlers with training, agro-chemicals and
select seeds. This, according to him, would also
help the farmers harvest a better yield from their
other cultivations.
Flora also has been working with farmers in eastern
Harerghe zone on 2,000ht of land. It turned its eyes
to the western part of Ethiopia because the Land
Investment Commission granted that it overlapped
with an elephant sanctuary, discontenting local and
international environmentalists.
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