Ethiopian cut flower producers have begun conducting partial trial shipments of flowers to Europe by sea, representing an important development.

The Ministry of Agriculture's Horticulture Export Coordinator, Mekonnen Solomon, shared that 7,722 kg of refrigerated flowers were exported using Maersk, the world's largest shipping line. This shift from traditional air transport involves carefully maintaining the flowers at a temperature of 2°C during the sea shipment.

The trial shipment aims to deliver the flowers in excellent condition to the Netherlands within a maximum of four weeks. While air transport has been the common practice, some producers and foreign importers are exploring sea shipment due to its potential cost advantages and lower carbon footprint. This trial is seen as a breakthrough and a response to the producers' long-standing interest in exploring the benefits of sea shipment. Notably, sea freight offers larger capacity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to air freight. Cut flower producers like Herburg Roses and Sher Ethiopia PLC are adopting sea shipment as part of their perishable logistics practices.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald