It is proved that Ethiopia is rich in natural resources with diversified agro-biodiversity manifested by vast arable lands, water resources suitable for cultivating fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Horticulture is cultivated in small, medium and large size widely particularly in the humid zones of the country. The sector enables to create job opportunities to hundreds of thousands, enhances irrigation farms and utilizes skilled and semi-skilled labor and technology. It also plays pivotal role in expanding commercial farming, supplies its products to local and foreign markets. It also supports the ongoing efforts to ensuring food security. It is also instrumental in increasing farmers’ income.
Cognizant of the value of the sector for job creation and foreign currency earnings, due emphasis has been rendered by the government and cooperation with the regional institutions is underway.
Recently, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) East African Community Horticulture Accelerator Program (CEHA) Ethiopia National Chapter was launched on August 13, 2024 in the presence of various stakeholders. On the occasion, the advisor of State Minister of Agriculture, Professor Ali Mohammed said that with its rich agricultural heritage, favorable climate and dynamic private sector, is poised to be a key player in regional horticulture transformation.
He further said that horticulture is a strategic sector for COMESA countries to focus on in order to drive economic diversification, ensure food and nutrition security, enhance regional integration and sustainable development.
CEHA is an exciting new initiative that aims to drive sustainable growth and development in the horticulture sector across the COMESA and East African Community (EAC) regions. With its rich agricultural heritage, favorable climate and dynamic private sector, Ethiopia is poised to be a key player in this regional horticulture transformation, he affirmed.
According to him, the establishment of Ethiopian CEHA national chapter is timely and a critical milestone. The Ethiopia CEHA national chapter will serve as the central hub to coordinate, catalyze and accelerate horticulture development in Ethiopia, with particular focus on the three anchor value chains; potato, avocado, and onions, the state minister elaborated.
Accordingly, the chapter will bring together key stakeholders and provide support for micro, small and medium enterprises in these selected value chains through matching grants and technical assistance aiming to create employment, increase regional trade and minimize post-harvest loses.
Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) CEO, John Mukuka noted that the launch of the COMESA, East African Community (EAC) Horticulture Accelerator Program (CEHA) Ethiopia National Chapter is critical. The CEO affirmed the readiness of ACTESA to further reinforce its commitment in the effort to accelerate Ethiopia’s horticulture transformation.
Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters’ Association Executive Director, Tewodros Zewdie pointed out that the national chapter is instrumental in building the capacity of producers, enhancing quality and resolving logistic related challenges.
Stating that the CEHA Ethiopia national chapter will create an opportunity to further elevate the competitiveness of Ethiopian producers and exporters, he said efforts will be further reinforced to be more competent in the region and beyond.
During the launching ceremony, Ministry of Agriculture, COMESA ACTESA and Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters’ Association signed Memorandum of Understanding to further accelerate the activities undertaken to exploit the huge potential of the sector in the country. Farmers engaged in producing the crops utilize both traditional and modern technology. According to studies, the demand for vegetables in the urban centers is growing. Therefore, if the sector is boosted to the higher commercial level, in addition to meeting the demand, it enables to create job opportunities to thousands.
Horticultural crops are rich in vitamins, carbohydrates and other nutrients that contribute to a major portion to an Ethiopian daily dish mix. Some nutritional deficiencies like vitamin A and C, and iron can be corrected by use of selected vegetables and root crops as well as fruits. In some areas of the country, root crops particularly potatoes and sweet potatoes are used as staple food for considerable portion of the population. Root crops in general and sweet potato in particular are drought resistant and serve as security food crops in drought prone areas.
Furthermore, vegetables and root crops generate foreign currency earnings in the country. Horticultural crops play a significant role in developing countries like Ethiopia, both in income and social spheres for improving income and nutrition status. In addition, it helps in maintaining ecological balance since horticultural crops species are so diverse. Further, it provides employment opportunities as their management being labor intensive, production of these commodities should be encouraged in labor abundant and capital scarce countries like Ethiopia.
Because of the cereal based food and production habit of farmers, horticulture was a neglected sector. However, traditionally different fruits and vegetables, cabbages, enset, pepper, shallot has been produced by small farmers but recently exotic ones are also becoming important in commercial production. Even though horticultural crops’ production in Ethiopia has been small compared to other crops; currently fruit, vegetable and root and tuber crops are widely produced in all regions of the country with different intensities of about an area of 0.55 million ha with 60.78 tons of harvest.
The irrigation potential of the country is estimated to be about 3.7 million hectares. Of the total potential, only about 20% to 23% of this potential is put under irrigated agriculture for both traditional and modern irrigation systems.
The existing irrigation development in Ethiopia, as compared to the resources potential that the country has, is not significant and the irrigation sub-sector is not contributing its share accordingly. There has been also a steady increase in the demand for different horticultural crops production for local markets, export and processing sectors. Horticulture has been contributing immensely to the country’s economic growth and development as the major export earning, however, the effort in the development horticultural commodities such as vegetables, fruits, root and tuber crops have been very much limited because of numerous production constraints.
The Central Statistics Authority (CSA) data is for rainy (Meher) season report, however most vegetables are produced under irrigation and give better yield. Besides the scattered small farmers, private investor cooperatives unions that are increasing in number also produce different fruits and vegetables for local and export markets.
The overall productivity of the crops is lower in farmers’ fields compared to the private investors’ field. The private farms have better option to use better technologies and hence better productivity. Limited private aproduction of fruits and vegetables like Strawberry.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government has identified key priority intervention areas to increase productivity of smallholder farms and expand large-scale commercial farms. Among the top priorities identified include: small and large-scale irrigations for horticulture development, agricultural inputs supply financing, increasing productivity of crops, improving agricultural production methods using mechanization, post-harvest loss reduction, developing research-based food security system, and natural resources management.
BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST 2024
