Ethiopia exports over 2.7 million kilograms of flowers for the lovers’ day which will be celebrated tomorrow.
The Ethiopian horticulture sector which scaved the global pandemic effect unlike other sectors, has registered yet another success on the ‘Valentine’s Day’ market, which is one of the peak seasons for the floriculture business.
The statement that Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) sent indicated that in related with romantic holiday days the export has been boosted to almost 2714.45 tones.
“As the world celebrates love on February 14, 2022, Ethiopian flower growers exported 2714.45 tonne of flowers for valentine day to the global market with in the time period of February 1st to 13th, 2022,” EHPEA said on its statement.
Despite it is the late comer on the export basket the horticulture sector has achieved spectacular successes. Even when the sector severely affected by COVID 19 the Ethiopian export earning from the horticulture industry, which takes on average 15 percent of the total export earnings, was massive.
One of the major reasons for the achievement is the strength of Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, who converted its passenger aircrafts besides the existed cargo fleets, when the pandemic forced global aviation business to ground.
In this pick season Ethiopian Airlines is also providing shipment service for Kenyan flower growers, who are the top exporters in the continent before Ethiopia.
Over the past decade, Ethiopia has been one of the world’s major providers of quality cut flowers to the global market, with a total export value of 530 million EUR per year which puts the country on the 5th level among the top flower export countries.
“Valentine’s Day is very important for the country’s flower sector as its one of the holidays the flower industry flourishes and increased production from 35 percent to 40 percent,” EHPEA, which is also one of the strongest sectoral association in the country, said.
In the first six months of the 2021/22 budget year the country secured USD 287 million from the export of flower, fruit and vegetable. The earnings is attained over seven percent from the projection that the government set to achieve in the stated period.
From the total earnings the follower export share was USD 246.5 million that climbed by 16 percent compared with the same period of last year and six percent from the projection.
It added that the favourable climate conditions have made Ethiopia the best cultivation site for horticulture products as it is situated in the tropics, with its diverse range of altitudes, “the cost of doing business climate is becoming expensive in other countries and its cheaper in Ethiopia as the government allotted different incentives which attracted many foreigners to set up flower farms in Ethiopia.” Currently, the floriculture investment in all over the country is 1600 hectare.
Even though the horticulture industry is young for the country, it has significantly contributed to economic, social and environmental development which also managed to generate more than USD four billion so far to the country.
One of the major successes tapped from the horticulture sector is the job opportunity and women empowerment.
The sector created job opportunities for close to 200,000 Ethiopians where 85 percent of them are women. The knowledge transfer from the sector has also contributed for the livelihood improvement of millions of Ethiopians as well.
EHPEA that established in 2002 and have 120 members has worked relentlessly to improve the industry business climate with in the country through its strategic advocacy intervention areas.