Ethiopia is truly a land of opportunity for the production of flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs for the export market.
The country is situated in the Horn of Africa, just North of the Equator with land suitable crop production at altitudes
between 500 – 3,000 metres. This means that there are suitable agro-climatic zones for the production of almost all types of crops.
The country is served by five international Airports, Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Dire Dawa and Gonder and has good access to the sea port in Djibouti.

Fresh from the cradle of mankind

•  Direct to Europe 7 Hours Map
•  Dubai 3 hours

Abundant land, water and labour are available in all areas that are suitable for crop production for export and the Government has created a favourable climate to encourage investment in the sector.
The Sector is open to both Ethiopian and Direct Foreign investors and the support for all investors, available from Government includes 70% capital loan for infrastructure, duty and tax free status for capital items and inputs and a 5 year tax holiday.

Production
All of these factors have led to phenomenal growth of the sector during the period 2002- 2008.

By 2008

The number of Exporters had risen from just 5 in 2002 to more than 100.
Forex earnings had risen from US $1.5 m to in excess of US $125 million.
Employment opportunities created had risen to more than 50,000.

Crops produced in 2008 included:

Roses                               Hybrid Tea and Intermediates         1,000 ha
Other flowers                  Gypsophila, Hypericum, Eryngium, Carnations and Lilies
Cuttings                           Poinsettia, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Geranium and various ornamentals      80 ha

Vegetables                     Green Beans and Snow Peas Broccoli, Courgettes, Okra  Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and green chilli              800 ha

Fresh Herbs                   Chives, Parsley, Rosemary, Dill, Basil, Roccola, etc               50 ha
Fruits                                Strawberries and Table grapes                                                 300 ha

Flowers
Ethiopia is noted for the production of large budded, long stemmed Roses with vibrant colours.
Many varieties are available and the main production season is October – May
Flowers are produced in modern production facilities around Addis Ababa and in the Rift Valley and are exported via the airport in Addis Ababa.
Gypsophilia, Hypericum, Eryngium, Carnations and Lillies are also produced successfully.
Many farms already have the MPS ABC and MPS SQ labels and all farms have already implemented or are working towards implementing the EHPEA Code of Practice.
Flowers are exported mainly to Holland, Germany, and the UK but also to Scandinavia, Russia, Japan and the Middle East countries either directly or via the Dubai Flower centre.

Cuttings:
High quality cuttings of many ornamental plants are produced and exported to international distributors in
Europe and North America.

Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs
Fresh Vegetables, fruit and herbs have been identified by Government as a priority area for development.
Currently a small number of commercial farms are involved but it is expected that with support from the government,
USAID and various NGOs this situation will change rapidly over the next few years.
A project to facilitate diversification of production and smallholder farmer participation in exports is also being implemented with project management support from the Association and funding from the CfC.

Seasons of production are compatible with many neighbouring countries and much of the land is suitable for organic certification.

Farms who are already involved in export to Europe are certified for Global GAP and produce is handled in pack houses that meet the BRC standard.