The Future of Ethiopia
Gadensa Farms PLC ( Background )
Gadensa Farms PLC (Gadensa), based in Adama Ethiopia, is establishing commercial ranching, fodder cultivation and feedlot operations over five hundred hectares in Borana Zone with the goal of rearing, breeding, fattening and selling highly hygienic livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) to export abattoirs and foreign live animal buyers.
- Gadensa recently secured communal land (in Borana areas where concerned offices and parties have signed off on this plan and given their support to facilitate implementation of the project) Gadensa will undertake efforts to develop communal pasture lands involving local communities through soil and water conservation and introduction of improved legumes/grasses and forages.
- The project is expected to generate employment for 500 permanent workers to start, of which 50 will be skilled and 450 manual workers.
- Workers will gain the benefit of salaries and profit sharing. However, it is through Gadensa’s associated work that the society can expect to greatly benefit.
- One of the goals behind the plan is locating its expanding operations near pastoral production areas is that it generates additional employment for local nonpastoralists. A myriad of businesses will open up linked to livestock that may take the form of milk processing, tanning, barbers, truck repairs and hotels.
- Gadensa will also train young women to make jewellery and ornaments from bones and soap from animal fats and bone marrow; and sell them in the local market. Gadensa will also employ women to cure leather before marketing them to tanneries.
.png/:/cr=t:15.26%25,l:17.78%25,w:70.22%25,h:76.92%25/rs=w:400,h:400,cg:true,m)
Gadensa Village
Gadensa is planning on creating a central village that will provide farmers and their families an environment that will allow them to thrive. The main beneficiaries of the project are the low land agro-pastoralists facing acute financial (lack of money for basic household necessities, farming equipment, livestock raising), technical (lack of inputs and knowledge to raise livestock) and environmental (unsanitary conditions to live in, lack of access to water for both household and livestock consumption) constraints on both their personal and business fronts.
Location
Borana Zone which is approximately 540km south from Addis Ababa. The Borana Zone is divided into two Zones, namely Borana Zone and Gujji Zones. Borana Zone is the southern part and has eight woredas (districts) namely, Gelana, Abaya, Bule Hora, Yabelo, Arero, Moyale, Dire and Teltele with Yabelo being the Zonal capital. The Gujji Zone is located in the northern part having seven woredas namely, Bore, Uraga, Wadera, Adola, Odo Shakiso, Liben and Kercha with Negelle as the Zonal capital.