Having housed the majority of agrarian society, Ethiopia has been practicing agriculture to have crop production, animal husbandry, apiculture, horticulture, fishery and the likes. Clearly, the agriculture sector in the country is being widely exercised across the nation taking advantage of the fertile and arable acre of land.
Of the myriads of crop production, oilseeds are given due emphasis to help the country be beneficiary out of this subsector. Cognizant of the fact that oilseeds are of significantly useful in supporting the nation to beef up economic growth apart from securing foreign currency, The Ethiopian Herald had a stay with Taddesse Birru, who graduated in Agricultural economics from Addis Ababa University. He said, “Oilseeds are expected to play an increasing role in future food supply. Even though the species are diverse, interestingly there are many varieties which possess potentials for food production. Various seeds are generally rich in lipids and provide the major part of oil and fat needs of the populations.”
As to Taddesse, major conventional edible vegetables’ oils and fats are generally provided by sunflower, peanut, palm kernel, and others using traditional and industrial processes. As the lack of suitable conservation methods for the local oilseeds before processing limits the opportunity for export, Ethiopia has to well embark on ways to preserve oilseeds production from A to Z.
In large-scale production, refined oils are produced through development projects from raw materials using industrial operations. Besides, the edible oils obtained have to meet the requirements of urban consumers such as bland flavor and odor, clear appearance, light color, stability to oxidation, and suitability for frying, he added.
As to him, agricultural products are used for local consumption and export to abroad. The main exportable agricultural products include: coffee, oilseeds, cereals, gold, khat, live animals, fruits, hides and skin and vegetables constitute the highest components of the Ethiopian export trade. Oilseeds are the second largest export earner for the country next to coffee.
“Coffee, oilseeds, Khat, and pulses are the main export products, of course. Oilseed crops are mainly used for the production of oil, which is being an important source of fatty acids. A lower production of oilseeds is a major problem that could be associated with the impact of various biotic and abiotic pressures.”
Taddesse further elucidated that edible vegetable oils and other oil seeds are used for food purpose. These products supplement or replace animal products like butter and lard, supplies of which are inadequate to meet the needs of an ever-increasing population. On the other side, oilseed meals are rich in protein; mixed with other ingredients like cereal grains, which provide nutritionally balanced feeds.
Since, Oilseeds are the second export earner of Ethiopia, their promotion can substantially contribute a lot to the economic development at family, regional, and even national levels. They are considered as high value export products by the Ethiopian government. They are energy dense foods due to high content and being source of fiber, vitamins like vitamin E, and minerals such as phosphorus, iron, and magnesium, he said.
True, oil seed production is of paramount importance in boosting the socioeconomic progress of the society and bolstering business relations and entrepreneurial initiations.
“Agriculture is the mainstay of the Ethiopian economy. Its share accounts for more than 45% of the total GDP, 50% of foreign currency earnings and above 84% of employment creation. Besides, both industry and services are dependent on the performance of agriculture, which provides raw materials, generates foreign currency for the import of essential inputs and food for the fast growing population,” he opined.
The Ethiopian government has indicated that the oilseeds sesame seed, niger seed, and safflower seed are high-priority export crops. Sesame, generating the largest foreign currency second to coffee, its export performance has been fluctuating due to varying reasons, he added.
Yes, coffee and oilseed are the main products and exportable commodities in Ethiopia; these products sourced from local producers and there is very little attention to the producers at the country level, as to him.
Ethiopia has an attractive portfolio of high value specialty oilseeds for export markets. It is in the top 5 producing countries for sesame seed, linseed and niger seed, and oilseeds are all in all a mainstay of the rural and national economy in Ethiopia.
According to Taddesse, growth and improvement of the oilseed sector can substantially contribute to the economic development at national, regional level and family level. Since the oilseeds chain is fragmented and many smallholders and middlemen are involved, the country has to coordinate efforts with a view to decreasing inefficiency and beef up productivity.
Oilseeds are grown mainly for the extraction of vegetable oils and for its by-products needed in livestock feed and in other industrial uses he said adding that the oils obtained from them are becoming a staple food used in daily cooking in several countries, and as a result the world demand is constantly increasing.
Combined with the exponential increase in the world population and other cyclical factors, the world demand for oilseeds is leading to a surge pricing, especially in oil importing countries. True, he added that the high dependence on imported vegetable oils and oilseed products has a detrimental effect on the economy of some countries and weighs heavily on their trade balance. Considering their increasingly important role in society, the development of a local oilseed sector to reduce Ethiopia’s dependence on imports and cope with the vagaries of global markets should never be overlooked in the current context of sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty. Hence, the country needs to well focus on the production and productivity of oil seeds.
Oil seeds have varied uses in our day to day lives such as food source, manufacturing of household cooking fats and even have medicinal value as well as for manufacturing of bio-fuels.
“Oilseed crops have been the backbone of several agricultural economics from antiquity and play a prominent role in agricultural industries and trade throughout Ethiopia, the continent of Africa and the world as well. A major amount of edible oil comes from these crop resources,” he added.
“Farmers encounter challenges such as water scarcity and ineffective irrigation methods, leading to adverse effects on oilseed crop yields. Enhancing farmers’ access to financial resources and markets, along with adopting modern agricultural machinery and techniques, can contribute to the overall improvement of oilseed crop production and economic augment in the country. The government is advised to offer special incentives to oilseed producing farmers to encourage the cultivation of non-traditional oilseed crops such as sesame and other related oil palms,” he opined.
Once harvested, oilseeds are stored for some time before transported to the extraction facility. Inorganic and organic impurities accumulated during harvesting, storing and transporting must be removed before the extraction process can begin including contaminants like leaves and stems, shells, dirt, stones, cloth, woodchips, metal, glass so as to keep the quality of the oilseed production.
Yes, he said oilseeds must also be sorted to remove imperfect or diseased oilseeds, pests before extraction. Ethiopia’s total oilseeds production in marketing is forecast to increase by manifolds if the sector is made to grow well thereby helping the nation benefit out of the subsector as it deserves.
He said, “The Ethiopian oilseed industry is an important economic driver for both our agriculture and agri-food sectors. Oilseeds are primarily grown for their oil content, and the total oilseeds production. Oilseeds are recognized by industry for its good stability during cooking and its nutritional attributes.”
One of the major trends in the oilseed processing sector in the country is optimizing the nutritional value of oils by increasing the content in oil and in family diet. It is known to be highly heat and drought tolerant, and could therefore be a potential oilseed crop for the dry Ethiopian prairie.
As to him, the economic importance of oilseeds in Ethiopia has possessed a vast area for oilseeds production; the oil extracted from oilseeds constitutes an important part of people’s diet as edible oils. It is also used as raw material for manufacturing various items of economic importance such as varnishes, soaps, cosmetic items, medicinal items, lubricants, perfumes, etc. Besides, the residue of edible oilseeds forms an important part of cattle feed and manure and the oil industry offers employment to thousands of millions of citizens across the nation.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 4 APRIL 2024
