Leather industry in Ethiopia is striving to earn more than US $300 million from the export of its leather shoes in the coming five years, said Yitbarek Fantahun, leader of leather industry development team with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Addressing the press, he informed that the ministry proposes to set up 74 shoe factories by spending 58 million birr (6.68 million dollars).
The five-year strategic plan gives prime importance to leather and make the industry a competitive supplier of leather goods to world market, said Fantahun.
The ministry would help establish 74 shoes factories and train manpower required to manufacture 20 million pairs of shoes.
Presently, Ethiopia has more than 20 tanneries exporting more than 50 percent of their products to foreign markets, said Yitbarek.
Last year export figures of revenue earned by leather products were 66 million dollars.
He emphasized the need for bettering the quality and variety of leather goods to meet the demand of foreign markets.
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