There are numerous investment opportunities other than floriculture in Ethiopia for Indian investors, said an Indian senior official on Wednesday.

Indian entrepreneurs could invest in other agricultural sectors, Indian Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria told journalists.

Bhuria, who was in Ethiopia on a working visit, said 35 of the 184 Indian companies with an aggregate capital of 350 million U.S. dollars were engaged in floriculture sector.

He said an Indian company, called Tirupati, which has been licensed to construct a sugar factory, is now engaged in the cultivation of sugar cane.

The Indian senior official said a team, consisting of Indian agricultural research professionals, would come to Ethiopia to conduct a fact-finding study on the saltiness of soil and related issues.

Ethiopia and India would also exchange views in the field of agriculture, he said.

Agriculture trade between the two countries is currently in favor of India. In 2004/05, India exported good worth 5.79 million dollars while its imports from Ethiopia were only worth 2.34 million dollars.

Ethiopia has been trying to capitalize on its favorable climate and soil conditions by modernizing to boost agriculture production.

Source: Xinhua