Ethiopia has identified 17 locations nationwide for the development of integrated agro-industrial parks, as the government pushes to expand value-added manufacturing and attract private investment into the agro-processing sector.

Industry Minister Melaku Alebel said construction has been fully completed at three of the planned parks in Bure, Bulbula, and Yirgalem. He made the remarks during an investment forum organised by the Ministry of Industry in Addis Ababa that brought together private developers and investors.

The minister said feasibility studies had been finalised for all seventeen sites, which are intended to serve as coordinated hubs linking agricultural production with processing, logistics, and export infrastructure.

Ethiopia currently hosts 13 government-developed industrial parks, of which ten have been upgraded to Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status. The integrated agro-industrial parks form part of a wider government strategy that envisions around thirty operational industrial parks by 2025, aimed at linking agricultural production with processing, logistics, and export infrastructure.

According to Melaku, the newly operational parks will help improve product quality and consistency, promote value-added manufacturing, and align production processes with international standards to enhance competitiveness. The government is providing policy, strategic, and infrastructure support to manufacturing industries, while encouraging investors to take advantage of incentives and facilities within the parks.

Forum participants expressed interest in investing in the agro-industrial parks but raised concerns regarding access to finance, institutional coordination, project organisation, and other operational challenges.

Melaku added that earlier operational challenges at the parks had been addressed, leading to growing investor participation. The National Manufacturing Council, established at federal level, is working with financial institutions, revenue and customs authorities, and other stakeholders to resolve cross-cutting constraints facing the sector.

The government has called on domestic and foreign investors to capitalise on the opportunities created within the integrated agro-industrial parks as Ethiopia seeks to deepen industrialisation, boost exports, and reduce reliance on raw commodity sales.