ADDIS ABABA – In contrast to food crops like Teff, Sorghum, Corn, Millet, there is no periodic price increment of spice crops in Mercato as well as other markets in Ethiopia, but few factors are creating market imbalance, said same wholesaler and retailer merchants around Mercato area approached by The Ethiopian Herald.
According to Wondwossen Mekuannent a wholesaler at the Mercato market, the declaration on transport service in force has a little impact on the price of spice products. This impact disturbs the spice marketing operation. Due to such reasons there is a problem to supply yields in time.
One factor affecting the market is the recent proclamation that bans the movement of heavy duty track before sundown. This could results in imbalance between the supply of the market and the demand for retailers.
He further noted that at onion, dry pepper, saffron, cardamom (mace), mustard and some other have showed a little increment due to fixedness of the production area, limitedness of yields at the area of production and challenges related to transporting supply from the source to the market area.
“One challenge for these products is failure to diversify areas of production fixedness of producing area and culture of production by the farmers from ancient up to current years. This culture must improve by the persistent assistant of the areas Agricultural Development (DA) professions. Otherwise the sector could not develop for the next consecutive years and it could not develop by itself. The sector too obligates due concern just as the other sectors when it comes to a strong and applicable research work”.
He stressed that even if the transportation system and other factors tried to hamstring the normal marketing conditions, the price remains constant as contrasted to the wide coverage of food crops market in the country. Meaza Tekelu the retailer said that “still this year when it comes to spice market I could not see an increment despite the challenges related to transportation and production”.
She added that “In most items price increment is not conspicuous. But it is somewhat felt in white onion, dry pepper, saffron, mace, mustard and others in a little”.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition, November 17/2019
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED
