Day: September 14, 2019

Ethiopian national day marked in Guirui Theatre of 2019 Beijing Expo in the presence of H.E Humer Husen, Ministry of Agriculture Minister, Teshome Toga, and Ethiopian Ambassador to China, State Ministers and Chinese government higher officials.

The program aimed to promote the country potential of agri-business export and investment, considering the emerging demand of Chinese import market.

The Ethiopian horticultural development for the export of flowers, fruit and vegetables, favoured by the country’s suitable climate, has been one of its major success stories of recent years. The sector has attracted a huge investment flow and had been steadily penetrating international markets over the last past 15 years. Mainly driven by the expanding middle classes’ strong level of consumer confidence, backed by a younger generation who see cut flowers as part of daily life, China is becoming the largest potential marketplace of horticultural products.

Expo 2019 marks a new chapter and will help to open doors for Ethiopian horticulture producers and exporters to translate their global market successes into action on China as well.

Ethiopia’s theme for Expo 2019 is “13 Months of Green Production”, portraying a picture of sustainable, harmonious and eco-friendly horticulture, produced all the year round. During the past 4 months of the Expo, the Ethiopian pavilion caught the eyes of more than 12,000 visitors who were impressed by the colourful flowers on display and the traditional coffee ceremony.

On the national day Ethiopian officials stated that the country has a lot of potential for more agribusiness, and more room for cooperation with China not only in agriculture, but also tourism. The program flowed by a B2B session where the main actors of the sector presented the current status and potentials.

The Dubai-based company established in 2014 with capital of $7 million has five flower farm in Ethiopia, sites in ten kilometres radius. The company has created job for 2,000 Ethiopians on its 60 hectares of flower farms. The company is now planning to increase its farm size to 100 hectares and double its number of employees, according to Mr. Franklin Thomas, Manager of Hansa Flower PLC.

Hansa Flower mainly exports its products to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The manager says 50 % of the product goes to the Middle East especially to Dubai, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. The manager who indicated that Hansa Flower is making 5 to 6-million birr net profit annually, says two years ago the profit was 3.5 million birr. This year the company has paid a total of 9 to 10 million birr tax to the government, according to Mr. Thomas.

He also indicated that Hansa Flower expects 50 percent annual growth for the coming years. But for that to happen says Mr. Thomas, Oromia region and the country in general needs to ease its bureaucracy and start providing one window shop service to investors.

Flower farms have been expanding in Ethiopia over the past few years recruiting over 200,000 employees and generating hundreds of millions of export earnings to the country.

When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility , Hansa Flower has invested $200,000 birr and built elementary school in Holleta City, Oromia region of Ethiopia. And has also built 4 kilometers gravel road investing 75,000 birr.

In addition, the company also provides school kit to the children of its employees. The company has also been assisting the electrification and water supply for the dwellers living around the farms, according to the manager.

Recently, steam sterilization of growing media has been attracting growing interest for its low ecological impact as well as for its high social value. It is used as viable alternative to Methyl Bromide and other critical chemicals in agriculture which are legally banned by Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Nowadays, steam sterilization is introduced in cutting farms such as Ethiopian Cutting (Syngenta), Florensis Ethiopia, Florensis Abyssinia, Dumen Orange, Maranque plants and other cutting flower growers for sterilization of growing media in propagation or greenhouses and it is considered as the best and the most effective way to disinfect soil-less media.

In this process, soil-borne pathogens i.e. fungi, bacteria, weeds, and viruses are destroyed through induced hot steam to a level that cause protein coagulation or enzyme inactivation and physically degenerate their cell structure. Soil lethargy can also be cured through the activation of chemicals and blocked nutritive substances are tapped and made available for plants. Steam sterilization leads to better starting position, quicker growth and strengthened resistance against disease and pests.

The advantage of steam sterilization is that it is highly efficient (~100%), cost effective technology, it eliminates the need of fumigants; it is neat, clean, and easy control technology, leaving no toxic residues or fumes and therefore less harmful to other greenhouse crops and growers. Besides, it is non-selective (some chemicals are ineffective against some pathogens) and requires little aeration time (planting can be done right after it cools). Steam can also be used to disinfest soil-less media such as red ash, perlite, peat and compost.

In conclusion, a research should be conducted incorporating method of sterilization, type of crop and growing media and financial feasibility of the methods to confirm the current implications and to insure safe and eco-friendly production system as well as recommendations and experience sharing programs should be organized to extend the practice to the rest of the sector operators.