Call for paying heed to fruit, vegetable businesses

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• Inter’l HortiFlora trade fair expo opens to visitors

BY ESSEYE MENGISTE

ADDIS ABABA– Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has called up on all concerned stakeholders to pay a due emphasis on the fruit and vegetable sector development.

In his opening speech of 8th Edition of HortiFlora expo yesterday, MoA Minister Girma Amente (PhD) said that: “It is not a matter of choice for us rather a question of necessity to contribute for boom in the fruit and vegetable export growth of the country for a number of factors.” Ethiopia has not benefitted in a meaningful manner from the opportunities for export in the fruit and vegetable sub-sector, he added. The minister, therefore, said that it is also possible to unlock the ample opportunities in the fruit and vegetable segment of the industry.

“ Ethiopia can benefit a lot from the lifestyle changes in the world’s main dish which is shifting more to fruit and vegetables, and the population growth everywhere on the globe is another opportunity.’’ As to him, Ethiopia needs to have a turn around as a country to meaningfully benefit from the fruit and vegetable segment of the industry just by considering the concurrent food technologies.

It was learnt that the sector will help ensure food sovereignty and improve the livelihood of fellow citizens via creating millions of jobs for the youngsters, and also substantially increasing the hard currency gains and the like. All stakeholders of the sector particularly investors, Ministry of Agriculture and government of Ethiopia will continue to work relentlessly to address the policy and administrative related challenges and will create a better doing business climate by working closely with the private sector, he stressed.

“We take our hats off for the voracious appetite and choice to further source flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs from Ethiopia. Indeed, we also comprehend that the visit should help exhibitors to assess for themselves the commercially attractive opportunities that Ethiopia offers to buyers and investors” Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association representative also called investors to invest in the fruit and vegetable sector and to play their role in the sector.

The 8th HortiFlora expo is opened to visitors for three days starting yesterday and it is being conducted under the theme: “Ensuring Sustainability”. The 8th HortiFlora expo is hosted by Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association.

The expo helps to share experience with other investors, introduce their products for their customers, and create market linkage, said exhibitors of the expo. And around 90 domestic and foreign companies are taking part in the expo. It is to be recalled that during the last 7 months, Ethiopia has earned over 400 million USD from the horticulture exports.

 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2023

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