1. Investment Office ANRS
Project Profile on the Establishment of Absorbent cotton Making
plant
Development Studies Associates (DSA)
JULY 2016
Bahir Dar
2. Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary................................................................................ 2
2. Product Description and Application................................................... 2
3. Market Study, Plant Capacity and Production Program................... 3
3.1 Market Study....................................................................................................... 3
3.1.1 Present Demand and Supply....................................................................... 3
3.1.2 Projected Demand....................................................................................... 4
3.1.3 Pricing and Distribution.............................................................................. 5
3.2 Plant Capacity..................................................................................................... 5
3.3 Production Program ............................................................................................ 6
4. Raw Materials and Utilities................................................................... 6
4.1 Availability and Source of Raw Materials.......................................................... 6
4.2 Annual Requirement and Cost of Raw Materials and Utilities........................... 6
5 Location and Site .................................................................................... 7
6 Technology and Engineering................................................................. 7
6.1 Production Process.............................................................................................. 7
6.2 Machinery and Equipment.................................................................................. 8
6.3 Civil Engineering Cost........................................................................................ 9
7 Human Resource and Training Requirement ................................... 10
7.1 Human Resource............................................................................................... 10
7.2 Training Requirement ....................................................................................... 10
8 Financial Analysis................................................................................. 11
8.1 Underlying Assumption.................................................................................... 11
8.2 Investment......................................................................................................... 12
8.3 Production Costs............................................................................................... 13
8.4 Financial Evaluation ......................................................................................... 13
9 Economic and Social Benefit and Justification.................................. 14
ANNEXES ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. 2
1. Executive Summary
This project profile deals with the establishment of absorbent cotton making plant in Amhara
National Regional State. The following presents the main findings of the study.
Demand projection divulges that the domestic demand for absorbent cotton is substantial and is
increasing with time. Accordingly, the planned plant is set to produce 160 ton annually. The
total investment cost of the project including working capital is estimated at Birr 13.09 million
and creates 40 jobs and Birr 1.42 millions of income.
The financial result indicates that the project will generate profit beginning from the first year of
operation. Moreover, the project will break even at 24.6% of capacity utilization and it will
payback fully the initial investment less working capital in 3 years. The result further shows that
the calculated IRR of the project is 28% with NPV of Birr 13,539,277.22
In addition to this, the proposed project possesses wide range of economic and social benefits
such as increasing the level of investment, tax revenue, employment creation and import
substitution.
Generally, the project is technically feasible, financially and commercially viable as well as
socially and economically acceptable. Hence the project is worth implementing.
2. Product Description and Application
Absorbent cotton is sterilized, deoiled and bleached loose cotton wadding. Originally absorbent
cotton was developed for the purpose of medical use. At present absorbent cotton is used for
sanitary use and in surgical operation as well as for ordinary daily living. Since absorbent cotton
is a material which comes in direct contact with the human body, it must satisfy the
pharmacopeia requirements. In Ethiopia absorbent cotton is usually needed by women during
their menstruation period and hence the viability of establishing the plant is examined from this
point of view.
4. 3
3. Market Study, Plant Capacity and Production Program
3.1 Market Study
3.1.1 Present Demand and Supply
At present the demand for absorbent cotton is met from domestic production as well as import.
However, there is no exact figure as to the level of domestic production per annum. Similarly,
the information obtained from Customs Authority aggregates the sanitary pad with other similar
materials so that the actual level of import could not be documented. However, a market research
conducted in various supermarkets and shops in Addis Ababa revealed that most of the sanitary
pads on sale are imported ones. This suggests that domestic production is unable to meet the
growing demand for the product.
To arrive at the present effective demand for the product, this profile employed a proxy approach
as follows. As has been stated earlier, women use sanitary pads during their menstruation period.
Therefore, the demand for the product depends on the number of women in the age group 15-49
years that are believed to make use of the product. According to CSA, Annual abstract (2006),
currently there are 3.5 million women in urban and 14.9 million women and rural areas of the
country as shown in table 1 below.
Table 1: Population of Women Between the Age of 15-49
Age Group Urban Rural Total
15-19 291417 938720 1230137
20-24 260242 694980 955222
25-29 181767 650241 832008
30-34 107484 471572 579056
35-39 102398 470484 572882
40-44 59026 346048 405074
45-49 53282 301725 355007
Total 1055616 3873770 4929386
Source: CSA, Annual Report (2006)
5. 4
The age group listed in the above table represents the age group that demands sanitary pads.
However, for a number of reasons such as ability to pay, awareness, etc, women in the urban
areas use the product more frequently than the rural areas. Therefore, in estimating the present
demand, it is important to make some assumption as to the demand for the product. In this
connection it is assumed that about 30% of the urban women and 1% of the rural women make
use of absorbent cotton during their menstruation period. Given the importance of the product,
this assumption can be considered as a conservative approach. Thus, about 1,061,984 women in
the urban area and about 148,938 of the urban females make use of the sanitary towel every
month. This makes the total potential users to be 1,210,922. On average a woman uses 4 pads in
a given month, and, therefore, the annual demand for the absorbent cotton is estimated to be
about 58,124,235 pieces per year. Roughly speaking this is equivalent to 581.2 tons. Therefore,
this figure can be fairly taken as the current level of demand for the product.
3.1.1 Projected Demand
In forecasting the future demand for absorbent cotton the population growth rate is used. This is
because as the number of women with in the age group of 15 to 49 increases, the demand for the
product also increases. Accordingly, 3% growth rate is considered to arrive at the following
forecast figure.
6. 5
Table 2: Projected Demand for Absorbent Cotton (in tons)
Thus, as per the above table, demand for the product will increase substantially in the coming
years. This suggests the relevance of establishing a small plant.
3.1.2 Pricing and Distribution
Based on the market research result and the capacity of the envisaged plant, the selling price of
absorbent cotton is set to be Birr 141,130 per ton. In other words it is Birr 14 per packet. In
distributing the product the envisaged plant shall make use of the available retail and wholesale
network.
3.2 Plant Capacity
Thus, given the expected demand for absorbent cotton as presented earlier, and the planned
technology, the envisaged plant is set to produce 160 tons annually. For a plant that may start
operation in 2016/17 this capacity represents about 19% of the total demand.
Year Projected Demand
2014/15 736
2015/16 758
2016/17 781
2017/18 804
2018/19 829
2019/20 854
2020/21 880
2021/22 906
2022/23 933
2023/24 961
2024/25 990
2025/26 1020
7. 6
3.3 Production Program
The program is scheduled based on the consideration that the envisaged plant will work 275 days
in a year in 1 shift, where the remaining days will be holidays and for maintenance. During the
first year of operation the plant will operate at 55 percent capacity and then it grows to 75
percent in the 2nd
year and 90 percent in the 3rd
year. The capacity will grow to 100 percent
starting from the 4th
year. This consideration is developed based on the assumption that market
and logistics barriers would take place for the first three years of operation.
4. Raw Materials and Utilities
4.1 Availability and Source of Raw Materials
The main raw materials required in the production of absorbent cotton are raw ginned cotton,
soda ash, caustic soda, bleaching agent, other chemicals, wetting agents and packing materials.
The raw cotton shall be secured from the region while the other materials are imported from
abroad.
4.2 Annual Requirement and Cost of Raw Materials
and Utilities
The annual raw material and utility requirement and the associated cost for the envisaged plant is
listed in table 3 below.
8. 7
Table 3: Material and Utility Requirement
Material and Input Quantity
Total Cost
L.C. F.C.
Raw Cotton 170 ton 3079200
Soda Ash 13 ton 166790
Caustic Soda 18 ton 277128
Bleaching Agent 13 216827
Other Chemicals Lump sum 41505.05
Wetting agent Lump sum 62258.858
Packing Material Lump sum 103763.908
Total Material Cost 2721083.908 764508.908
Utility
Electricity 120,000 kwh 66,000
Furnace Oil 60,000 lit 420,000
Water 10,000m3
26,500
Total Utility Cost 512,500
According to the above table the annual cost of material and utility at full capacity of operation is
Birr 3,998,093.
5 Location and Site
The appropriate locations for the envisaged project in view of the availability of input,
infrastructure as well as market for the output are Bahir Dar, Combolcha and Gonder towns.
6 Technology and Engineering
6.1 Production Process
The production process in producing absorbent cotton involves the following. First of all the raw
cotton is opened and loosened, separated from dust particles and other contaminants. Then the
cotton is boiled using steam for up to four hours with various chemicals like detergents, caustic
soda, soda ash etc. This treatment removes oils, waxes and other and foreign matters. The Cotton
is then washed in large thanks. The washed cotton is then bleached with chemicals like hydrogen
9. 8
peroxide or sodium hypochlorite. The bleaching not only whitens the cotton but also improves its
moisture absorbing qualities and further cleans it. The bleached cotton is thoroughly washed
again to remove adhering chemicals. A small quantity of dilute sulpheric acid may be used to
neutralize any excess alkali. The neutralized cotton is then processed in a hydro extractor to
remove absorbed water and dilute sulpheric acid. It is then opened again in a wet cotton opening
machine.
The opened cotton is then dried or subjected to sun drying. Sun drying in the open, however, is
not advisable as it attracts fresh dust and requires a huge amount of open space. After drying the
cotton is sent to the blow room where it is opened more thoroughly and made into laps. The laps
of cotton are then fed into a carding machine which turns the cotton laps into 6” to 12” wide
brands. A special indigo colored paper is placed under each band and the cotton is rolled,
compressed, weighed and cut into packaging of different sizes. The rolls are then packed in a
polyethylene roll after labelling and stamping with correct weight. The final packing is done in a
card board or corrugated board cartons.
The alternative technology requires a fully automatic production process. In this situation much
of the work will be handled by the machines and minimizes the role of labor in the process. This
approach is very expensive and produces very large amount of finished absorbent cotton per day
when compared with the process discussed earlier. For the envisaged plant the manual approach
is more preferable since its production capacity is lower, relatively labor intensive and the
technology is cheaper than the fully automated one.
6.2 Machinery and Equipment
The machineries and equipment required for producing absorbent cotton is detailed in table 4
below.
10. 9
Table 4: Machinery and Equipment
The total cost of machinery and equipment including freight insurance and bank cost is estimated
to be about Birr 20,528,000.
The following are some of the machineries suppliers’ address for the envisaged project
1. Machinery Manufacturers Corporation
B-61, Circular Garden Road,
Calcutta – 600 043, India
2. Gujarat Machinery Manufacturers Ltd.,
187, Worli, Mumbai – 400018, India
6.3 Civil Engineering Cost
The total site area for the envisaged plant is estimated to be 500m2
where 350m2
is allocated for
the production place and the remaining space is left for stores (100m2
), office buildings and
facilities (50m2
).
Machinery and Equipment Quantity
High Pressure Kier Boiler (cap 500 kg) 1
Carding Machine 1
Wet Cotton Opener 1
Hydro extractor (centrifugal type) 1
Cotton drier (steam operated continuous type) 1
Dry Cotton Opener 1
Porcupine Cleaner 1
Lap Forming Machine 1
Rolling Machine 1
Rolling Cutting Band Saw 1
Multi-Fuel Boiler (1000kg/hr evaporation
capacity at 150 psig) 1
Water Reservoir (15,000 litters cap) 1
Water, Steam, Discharging piping and fittings 1
Laboratory and testing equipment set
11. 10
7 Human Resource and Training Requirement
7.1 Human Resource
The list of required manpower for the envisaged plant is stated in table 5 below.
Table 5: Human Resource Requirement
Position No. Required
Monthly
Salary
Total Annual
Salary
Manager 1 11547 138564
Production Manager 1 10264 123168
Finance Head/Administrator 1 7698 92376
Accountant 1 3079.2 36950.4
Secretary 1 2566 30792
Sales Clerk 2 2052.8 49267.2
Chemist 1 3079.2 36950.4
Store Keeper 1 2052.8 24633.6
Technician 2 2566 61584
Supervisor 2 3079.2 73900.8
Operators 14 2052.8 344870.4
Daily Labourers 6 1026.4 73900.8
Cleaners 2 1026.4 24633.6
Messengers 1 1026.4 12316.8
Driver 1 2052.8 24633.6
Guards 3 1026.4 36950.4
Benefit (20%) 237098.4
Total 40 1422590
[[[[[[[[[[[
The envisaged plant creates 40 jobs and about Birr 1.4 millions of income. The professionals and
support staff for the envisaged plant shall be recruited from Amhara region.
7.2 Training Requirement
Training of key personnel shall be conducted in collaboration with the suppliers of the plant
machineries. The training should primarily focus on the production technology and machinery
maintenance and trouble shooting. Birr 256,600 will be allocated as training expense.
12. 11
8 Financial Analysis
8.1 Underlying Assumption
The financial analysis of absorbent cotton making plant is based on the data provided in the
preceding sections and the following assumptions.
A. Construction and Finance
Construction period 2 years
Source of finance 40% equity and 60% loan
Tax holidays 2 years
Bank interest rate 12%
Discount for cash flow 18%
Value of land Based on lease rate of ANRS
Spare Parts, Repair & Maintenance 1% of fixed investment
B. Depreciation
Building 5%
Machinery and equipment 10%
Office furniture 10%
Vehicles 20%
Pre-production (amortization) 20%
13. 12
C. Working Capital (Minimum Days of Coverage)
Raw Material-Local 30
Raw Material-Foreign 120
Factory Supplies in Stock 30
Spare Parts in Stock and Maintenance 30
Work in Progress 10
Finished Products 15
Accounts Receivable 30
Cash in Hand 30
Accounts Payable 30
8.2 Investment
The total investment cost of the project including working capital is estimated at Birr 33.09
million as shown in table 6 below. The Owner shall contribute 40% of the finance in the form of
equity while the remaining 60% is to be financed by bank loan.
Table 6: Total initial investment
Items L.C F.C Total
Land 3849 3849
Building and civil works 2566000 2566000
Office equipment 256600 256600
Vehicles 1283000 1283000
Plant machinery & equipment 2566000 23094000 25660000
Total fixed investment cost 6675449 23094000 29769449
Pre production capital expenditure* 1488472 1488472
Total initial investment 8163921 23094000 31257921
Working capital at full capacity 1505039 333603.1 1838642
Total 9668960 23427603 33096563
*Pre-production capital expenditure includes - all expenses for pre-investment studies, consultancy fee during
construction and expenses for company‘s establishment, project administration expenses, commission expenses,
preproduction marketing and interest expenses during construction.
The foreign component of the project accounts for 70.8% of the total investment cost.
14. 13
8.3 Production Costs
The total production cost at full capacity operation is estimated at Birr 18.3 million as detailed in
table 7 below.
Table 7: Production Cost
Items Cost
1. Raw materials 3485592.816
2. Utilities 1315075
3. Wages and Salaries 1422590.4
4. Spares and Maintenance 297694.49
Factory costs 6520952.706
5. Depreciation 3274254.49
6. Financial costs 1985794.042
Total Production Cost 18301953.94
8.4 Financial Evaluation
I. Profitability
According to the projected income statement attached in the annex part (see annex 4) the project
will generate profit beginning from the first year of operation. A modest profit, however, is
obtained starting from the second year of operation. Ratios such as the percentage of net profit to
total sales, return on equity and return on total investment are 0.14%, 0.13% and 16.64%
respectively in the first year and are gradually rising. Furthermore, the income statement and
other profitability indicators show that the project is viable.
II. Breakeven Analysis
The breakeven point of the project is estimated by using income statement projection.
Accordingly, the project will break even at 24.6% of capacity utilization.
15. 14
III. Payback Period
Investment cost and income statement projections are used in estimating the project payback
period. The project will payback fully the initial investment less working capital in 3 years.
IV. Simple Rate of Return
For the envisaged plant the simple rate of return equals to 27.9%
V. Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value
Based on cash flow statement described in the annex part, the calculated IRR of the project is
28% and the net present value at 18 % discount is Birr 5,276,413.57
VI. Sensitivity Analysis
The envisaged plant incurs loss of Birr 116,424.11 in the first year of operation when cost of
production increases by about 10%. The plant will generate profit starting from the second year.
This result is accompanied by somewhat similar NPV obtained earlier.
9 Economic and Social Benefit and Justification
The envisaged project possesses wide range of benefits that promote the socio-economic goals
and objectives stated in the strategic plan of the Amhara National Regional State. It boosts the
inter sectoral linkage between the agricultural and industrial sectors. At the same time, therefore,
it helps diversify the economic activity. The other major benefits are listed as follows:
A. Profit Generation
The project is found to be financially viable and earns on average a profit of Birr 2.88 million per
year and Birr 28.81 million within the project life. Such result induces the project promoters to
reinvest the profit which, therefore, increases the investment magnitude in the region.
B. Tax Revenue
16. 15
In the project life under consideration, the region will collect about Birr 11.3 million from
corporate tax payment alone (i.e. excluding income tax, sales tax and VAT). Such result creates
additional fund for the regional government that will be used in expanding social and other basic
services in the region.
C. Import Substitution and Foreign Exchange Saving
Based on the projected figure we learn that in the project life an estimated amount of US Dollar
8.09 million will be saved as a result of the proposed project. This will create room for the saved
hard currency to be allocated to other vital and strategic sectors.
D. Employment and Income Generation
The proposed project is expected to create employment opportunity for several citizens of the
region. That is, it will provide permanent employment to 40 professionals as well as support
staff. Consequently the project creates income of Birr 1.4 millions per year. This would be one of
the commendable accomplishments of the project.
E. Pro Environment Project
The proposed production process is environment friendly.
F. Diversification and Inter Sectoral linkage.
The proposed project helps to diversify ANRS’ and Ethiopian economy. It contributes to
industrialization of the region as well as the county’s economy.