Pessl Instruments Expand into Ethiopia

On June 19, 2013 Pessl Instruments PLC was officially launched in a large press of launch event in the capital of Ethiopia. Pessl Instruments GmbH (Austria) continues to grow with direct investments in high potential countries and areas.

Ethiopia is a country with 1,1 Million sq km of highly fertile land (13 times that of Austria) with only 15 % of its agricultural land used. The current population is around 92 Million but it is expected to grow to 160 Million by 2050. In other words, it is a paradise on earth for investors and farmers for future investments.

The country is strategically located in a high potential growth area and it is considered to be the ideal hub for Pessl Instruments activity in East Africa and the Saudi Arabian Peninsula.

Pessl Instruments is planning to invest more than 2 Million EUR in the first 800 station large national network. The network will be owned and run by the local company Pessl Instruments PLC headquartered in Addis Ababa. The general manager will be Austrian born Gerd Ladstaetter who has lived for more than 4 years in Ethiopia and has already been a part of some other very successful investments in this country.

With this new business model Pessl expect a number of stakeholders taking part in the network to receive real-time high quality data on disease, pest and irrigation management and local weather forecast. The network is professionally run and data is retailed to as many stakeholders and NGO’s, Investors, Governmental organs and donors as possible. For small holder farmers warning information is envisioned to be free of charge via mobile phone (SMS) as sponsorship arrangements are negotiated with various donors.

With these investments Pessl Instruments PLC will play a decisive role in the future modernisation of the Ethiopian agriculture. If the investments prove to be successful Pessl Instruments is planning to produce or assemble stations in Ethiopia for further exports into other nearby countries.