According to the Textiles Industry Development Institute (TIDI), in mid 2014, Ethiopia imported over 3,000 tonnes of cotton to meet demand for its domestic textile industry. Importing cotton was a short-term measure by the government to address the challenge of shortage of raw material. The Government has also introduced a new system, wherein companies owning textile mills are allowed to cultivate cotton, and some textile companies such as Ayka Addis, Adama and Selin Dewan are already working in this direction. Ethiopia that exports yarn, fabric and cotton garments, has a target of increasing its textile and apparel exports to US $ 1 billion by January 2015. But the country is still very far from meeting its target as the local cotton supply is low.
