Overview of Ethiopian Textile Industry

The overarching objective is to investigate the status of Ethiopian Textile Industry. Primary data were collected through observation, personal and telephone interviews. Besides, secondary data were compiled from company documents and research institutes. The data were analyzed using simple statistical tools and inductive and deductive reasoning. The major findings are: the cultivated land is 3.7% with a productivity of 19.8 ql/ha; the combined ginning capacity is 1,031 ton/day; the daily performance of spinning mills is 386.4 ton and the capacity of composite and knitting mills is 578,576 meters per day of fabric. The trend indicates that there is a negative trade balance. Despite these facts, there is a large area of land suitable for cotton cultivation, tremendous trainable labor force and a conducive policy for the expansion of textile industry.