ADDIS ABABA– Over 169.5 million USD was secured from flower, vegetable and fruit export in the first quarter of the current Ethiopian fiscal year, the Ministry of Agriculture said, adding that the performance attained 63.1 percent of the plan.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, the Ministry of Agriculture Horticulture Export Coordinator Mekonnen Solomon stated that the sum was obtained from exporting 96,443.36 tons of flower, vegetable and fruit in the reported period.
Cut flowers have the lion’s share in the overall performance and Ethiopia generated over 146.26 USD revenue exporting 30,922.69 tons to the global market. Also, the vegetable sub-sector grossed 17.2 million USD from 58,340.40 tons export.
Similarly, the country secured around 6.12 million USD from exporting 14.823.99 tons of fruits in the reported period.
The ministry sets a plan to generate 741.8 million USD from exporting 351,030,031.71 kg of flowers, vegetables and fruits in the current fiscal year.
Mekonnen further said that consolidated efforts are underway to provide exports at the desired quality level and appealing package thereby keeping Ethiopia’s competitiveness at the global market.
The government has been paying due attention to attract private investments in the horticulture sector and to improve competitiveness by providing export incentives, customs duty exemption, income tax holidays, and offering land at competitive lease price, it was learned.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2023
