Nation hosts 13th Int’l Conference on Pulses and Oil seeds
ADDIS ABABA – By increasing the export of processed pulse and oilseed products, Ethiopia is working to enhance the benefit from its abundant agricultural resources, Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) said.
Opening the 13th International Conference on Pulses and Oilseeds themed “Seed of prosperity: Global partnership for Sustainable Growth,” yesterday, MoTRI Minister, Kassahun Gofe (PhD) said that Ethiopia is giving due attention to the production of quality pulses and oilseeds in order to penetrate the global market.
According to the Minister, the country is securing 800 million USD revenue from pulses and oil seeds each year. As a result, Ethiopia is ranked second and sixth in the international market through supplying beans and lentils respectively.
However, many activities remain to be done to utilize the country’s untapped potential in pulses and oilseeds production, he expressed.
Kassahun further stated that over 150 million USD contracts are expected to be signed in the conference, which has an additional volume of 50 million USD compared with the past similar period.
MoTRI is carrying out product inspection measures in its 17 branches to realize quality oilseeds and pulses across the country, he indicated.
“Particularly, the macroeconomic reform would play crucial role in advancing production of quality oilseeds and pulses. Two months later, similar conference will be organized in Dubai, which would benefit Ethiopia in promoting its potentials to the rest of the world,” Kassahun expressed.
The 13th International Conference on Pulses and Oilseeds conference which is being held in Addis Ababa marks a significant milestone for global traders, exporters, and producers, Ethiopian Pulses and Oilseeds Exporters Association (EPOSEA) President, Ado Abdi said, adding that such platform has a manifold advantages for bringing key global stakeholders together for sharing ideas, fostering business relationships, and encouraging producers.
“The Association is a continuously growing and experiencing transformative changes to exploit advantages in global stage,” he added.
Despite the improvements, Ado said that there are still many challenges impacting the industry, including international market fluctuations, logistical constraints, regional security issues, supply inconsistencies, and quality concerns.
Over 100 companies across the globe are participating in the conference that organized by MoTRI in collaboration with EPOSEA, incorporating various events including panel discussions on pulses and oilseeds, it was learned.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2024
