In the first five months of the current fiscal year, Ethiopia earned USD 184.7 million from flower production, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The horticulture sector, encompassing floriculture, vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, coffee, and tea leaves, serves multiple purposes such as generating foreign currency, ensuring food security, creating employment opportunities, and contributing to industrial resources.

Abdela Negash, the Executive Director of Horticulture Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized ongoing efforts to increase job opportunities and foreign exchange earnings in flower cultivation. Despite earning revenue, there was a 30% decrease compared to the same period last year, with challenges cited as inadequate infrastructure, lack of coordination, and related issues. Abdela highlighted the need for better success in the future, addressing misconceptions about flower cultivation, ensuring coordination, and solving problems related to land supply for cultivation. He also emphasized the safety of chemicals used in the sector and called for a system to provide more land to developers interested in participating in the industry.

In December last year, Ethiopian cut flower producers initiated partial trial shipments of flowers to Europe by sea, marking a significant development in the sector. The objective of the trial shipment was to deliver the flowers in excellent condition to the Netherlands within a maximum of four weeks. While air transport has been the prevalent method, some producers and foreign importers are exploring sea shipment due to its potential cost advantages and lower carbon footprint.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Additional source: 2Merkato Archives