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📅 Save the Date, March 24 – 26, 2026, Addis International Convention Center, Addis Ababa.

🌍 About HortiFlora Expo 2026

HortiFlora Expo, Ethiopia’s leading international horticulture exhibition, returns for its 10th edition in March 2026. Held biennially in Addis Ababa, the expo stands out for its exceptional organization and for bringing together the full global horticulture supply chain under one roof.

This year’s event will host more than 200 local and international exhibitors, attracting global players ranging from producers and breeders to input suppliers, buyers, investors, logistics providers, cold-chain specialists, technology firms, financial institutions, and service providers.

As one of Africa’s strongest B2B platforms, the expo will welcome buyers from Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and China, creating opportunities for new sales agreements and long-term partnerships.

HortiFlora Expo 2026 is hosted by the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) in collaboration with HPP Exhibitions Worldwide, with a shared goal of promoting Ethiopia’s rapidly growing horticulture sector and enabling meaningful business engagement.

🎯 Theme & Objectives

Theme: “The Future is Horticulture”

Key Objectives:

• Strengthen B2B engagement
• Promote a positive global image of Ethiopia
• Showcase investment opportunities in the horticulture sector
• Enhance economic cooperation and partnerships
  📌 Side Events & Programs
  Participants will have access to a diverse lineup of side programs, including:
• Sustainability promotion sessions
• High-level forums on investment, logistics, agro-logistics, and finance
• B2B, B2C, and B2G meetings
• A buyers’ mission organized in collaboration with Ethiopian embassies abroad
• Discussions on global market trends, standards, and emerging challenges—attended by senior government officials, the private sector, civil society, and farmer organizations
  👥 Who Will Attend?
• 200+ national and international exhibitors
• Horticulture producers and exporters
• Input suppliers
• Government investment bureaus
• Academic and research institutions
• Financial institutions
• Logistics and cold-chain service providers
• Technology service providers
• Cooperatives and unions
• International development partners
• Visitors from across the globe
  🌱 Expected Outcomes
  HortiFlora Expo 2026 is designed to deliver high-impact results, including:
• New sales agreements and trade deals
• A global showcase of Ethiopia’s horticulture potential
• Enhanced business and market development opportunities
• Promotion of investment prospects
• Strengthened international economic relations
• Improved visibility and branding of Ethiopia
• Extensive networking and partnership-building
  🌺 Join Us at HortiFlora Expo 2026
  By participating in HortiFlora Expo 2026, businesses and institutions will gain unparalleled access to potential partners, emerging markets, and investment opportunities—while contributing to the continued growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s horticulture sector.

The first technologically advanced gutter system for soft fruit production has been introduced in Koka, Ethiopia, with the supports of the Demonstration Project (DHI) instrument of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). This initiative, completed last week, was executed in partnership with Zuqualla Horti PLC, FlevoPlants, Meteor Systems, and Resilience.

The project includes the installation of Meteor Systems’ innovative gutter system on the farm of Zuqualla Horti PLC in Koka, Ethiopia’s leading strawberry producer. Zuqualla, which currently operates 20 hectares of strawberry fields and 8 hectares of greenhouse cuttings. The farm has been cultivating strawberries in soil since 2005. However, under new ownership since 2020, it has sought to enhance productivity and environmental sustainability by adopting the gutter system.

Zuqualla’s transition to the gutter system includes the introduction of two new strawberry varieties from FlevoPlants, aiming to demonstrate these advancements to local stakeholders. Resilience coordinated the project, which involves significant contributions from three companies within the soft fruit sector.

Objectives and Benefits of the program

The project intends to promote Dutch production systems and varieties within the Ethiopian market, aiming to boost profitability and sustainability. By leveraging Dutch subsidies from RVO and through the contribution of the companies involved, the project plans to conduct demonstrations and training sessions to showcase to the Ethiopian growers the technologies utilized.

A Dutch soft fruit demonstration farm has been established on a 0.25-hectare raised gutter system from Meteor Systems. This farm showcases new strawberry varieties and advanced production practices designed to maximize productivity while minimizing pesticide and fertilizer use.

• Social Impact: The project aims to train at least 200 Ethiopian soft fruit farmers on improved production techniques. Additionally, the raised gutter system improves labor conditions by allowing workers to stand upright during plant care and harvesting.
• Environmental Benefits: The new system is more environmentally friendly, reducing pesticide usage through integrated pest management and hydroponic techniques. It also boasts higher fertilizer efficiency via water and nutrient recirculation. These practices align with Dutch goals for a circular economy and sustainable agriculture.
• Financial Advantages: The adoption of advanced systems and new varieties is anticipated to lower costs and increase productivity per square meter, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Ethiopia’s soft fruit sector. This could lead to increased exports, particularly to the Middle East and potentially the EU, addressing Ethiopia’s foreign exchange deficit by boosting export revenues.

The origin of the DHI initiative on soft fruits

This initiative originates from a 2021 study commissioned by the Agricultural Department of the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, which aimed to evaluate the plant propagation material sector in Ethiopia. The research sought to align the needs of Ethiopian public and private sectors with Dutch expertise and investment in the propagation sector. Given the booming global demand for soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, combined with Ethiopia’s favorable production conditions, the study identified significant potential for developing the soft fruit sub-sector.

The study highlighted Ethiopia’s growing strawberry production and exports, which currently depend on planting material from Israel, emphasizing the necessity for technological and varietal advancements. It recommended exploring collaborations between Dutch and Ethiopian companies to introduce new varieties, technology, and crop management practices. This input paved the way for incorporating Dutch innovations in Ethiopian strawberry production, with high gutter systems identified as a transformative advancement for soft fruit cultivation. This recommendation ultimately inspired the conception of the DHI project, aimed at implementing these innovative solutions.
Source: https://www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl/actueel/nieuws/2024/07/22/advancing-ethiopias-soft-fruit-industry-by-introducing-dutch-innovation

EHPEA represented the Ethiopian horticulture industry at MADE IN GERMANY – AFRICA 2024 conference and expo held in skylight hotel from March 14-16.

On the panel discussion, Tewodros Zewdie, EHPEA executive director deliberate the opportunities and challenges of the sector towards the Due Diligence Regulation and the way forward to support farms to meet the international standard on any export produce.

Addressing gender intervention elements were one of the main panel discussion which EHPEA gender department Senior gender expert, Mahilet Merid took part, by sharing the Association experience on women empowerment practice in the horticulture industry, challenges that the sector faced to mitigate the gender equality and the positive outcome of it interventions at farm level.

Located in Holata town administration in Wolmera district Marginpar Ethiopia PLC and L’Arca Investment PLC are summer flower producing and exporting farms. They have same shareholders and their main crops are Eryngium, Astrantia, Crocosmia which are exported to Europe and some direct customers in the Far East and America.

The two companies participate in different CSR activities jointly. They took part in construction of a ten-kilometre road in two different sites in “Wolmera Choke” Kebele. In undertaking the road project they carried out activities in consulting the community about the lay of the road following which the community provided the selected material and the companies took care of machinery, transportation and labour cost.

The Kebele also requested support to build a bridge on Welensu River and thus, both companies provided culverts and machinery. During the construction the companies provided a temporary solution via a wooden bridge.

So far over 10,000 indigenous fast-growing trees have been distributed to the community. The trees transplantation is meant to protect soil erosion and contribute to environmental conservation.

Over 40 households get drinking water service from the two companies. At several farm gates dispersing points have been erected. Furthermore, a nearby primary school is about to be supplied with drinking water.

Recently the companies assisted in Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) which enabled all 650 staff members and 26 elderly from local the community get access to full health package for themselves and their family.

Both companies provide all their staff members with lunch on each working day.