The Ministry of Finance has approved the construction of the first national research, laboratory and training centre for dairy and meat products. The centre will rest on 73ha of land in Bishoftu, Oromia Regional State.

Signed by Eyob Tekalign (PhD), state minister for Finance, the letter gave the go-ahead for the Urban Development & Construction Ministry to proceed with the construction of the lab. The laboratory and the research centre, which will be built for the Meat & Dairy Industry Development Institute, is intended to improve the export quality of milk, dairy products, wax and meat.

The Ministry of Urban Development & Construction, which was responsible for building headquarters for the Civil Service Commission, the ministries of Revenue and Health, the Central Statistical Agency, the Auditor General, and the Ethiopian Roads Authority, will oversee the contract management of the centre.

The construction of the building was initiated five years ago after getting approval from the Office of the Prime Minister. However, the project could not move due to delays on land allocation by Oromia Regional State. However, after securing the land in June, the Ministry of Trade & Industry requested approval from the Finance Ministry to embark on the construction.

"After the construction is completed," said Mekonnen Gashu, deputy director of the Institute, "we hope it's going to be the first high-quality centre of its kind."

The Institute has aimed at building the centre with three targets, according to Mekonnen.

Making the Institute the primary centre for research on meat, dairy and animal feed; having a training centre for companies and individuals engaged in meat, dairy, honey and animal food production; and having a standard national laboratory testing centre to boost export quality, according to the deputy director.

Located at Bishoftu close to Babogaya Lake, the Institute rests on a total area of 17.8ha of land. It was established in 2008 under the Ministry of Agriculture, but it has been reporting to the Ministry of Trade & Industry since 2013.