ADDIS ABABA (ENA)–The Soufflet Group, a French-family owned cereal collection company headquartered in the City of Nogent-sur-Seine, has signed a land lease agreement with the Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) to build a USD50-million malting plant.
The plant, which is expected to go operational in 2020, will initially produce 60,000 tons of malt.
Malteries Soufflet Managing Director, Christophe Passelande said, “Ethiopia is an attractive country to invest in because of its vast and yet largely untapped potential.”
He added that, “We chose to invest in Ethiopia as it is the largest barley producer in Africa with 2 million tons and fourth beer producer in the continent.”
Ethiopia’s barley production capacity and growing demand of malt, coupled with Soufflet’s extensive international experience, promises successful collaboration, Passelande noted.
Mr. Passelande revealed 20-25 thousand barley producing smallholder farmers are expected to provide their products to the French-based company.
In regard to the importance of increasing malt production in the country to satisfy the demand in beer production, Malteries Soufflet’s Managing Director pointed out that the emergence of numerous domestic and international breweries means that the demand is expected to grow and the country needs rapid solutions to the shortage in domestic supply.
During the signing ceremony, IPDC CEO Lelise Neme said companies like Malteries Soufflet will play significant role in transforming the agriculture sector in Ethiopia.
She noted that Ethiopia has been importing about 70 percent of its malt [even if the country is the largest producer of barley in the continent] “the signing of this agreement with a world-class firm will have a role in substituting the malt we currently import.”
She stated that the company will create massive job and capacitate huge number of smallholder farmers.
About The Soufflet Group
The Soufflet Group is a French, family owned, foods group of international scope. It operates in particular in the barley, wheat and pulses sectors. The biggest family owned on-farm buyer of cereals in Europe, it also operates on the international cereal markets through its Soufflet Négoce subsidiary. The Group employs 7,441 staff in eighteen countries, within a a total of 61 factories.
Source: ENA