Red Fox Ethiopia Plc, operating under the global floriculture brand Dümmen Orange, today officially inaugurated Ethiopia’s first dedicated mass rearing facility of beneficial insects in Koka Negewo.
Rather than applying chemical pesticides, the facility enables Red Fox Ethiopia Plc to breed and use the natural pest control agents directly inside its greenhouses, an approach known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or biocontrol system.
The facility marks a decisive structural shift away from conventional chemical pest interventions, drastically reducing chemical footprints, safeguarding local ecosystems, enhancing workplace health and safety, and advancing climate-resilient agriculture.
Lowering the risk of pesticide residue on export flowers, it also highly supports the compliance with international market standards, particularly lucrative and stricter global markets.
Reiterating that the greatest challenge in the floriculture are pests that damage quality of cuttings, thereby threatening export and creating pressure to apply more chemical pesticides, Yordanos Jemal, General Manager of Red Fox Ethiopia Plc (Dummen Orange), highlights the great significance of the facility in curbing the problems while promoting smart and sustainable agriculture.
The facility makes the Company become the first Farm in Ethiopia to produce its own biological pest control agents.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, H.E. Dr. Sofia Kassa, the Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture, commended the facility for its role in substituting imported products.
Stating that the initiative by Red Fox Ethiopia Plc (Dummen Orange) is highly encouraging and exemplary achievement, the State Minister has also called on others to follow same suit to realize such initiatives that would boost exports while reducing imports.
Speaking on his part, H.E. Ambassador Diriba Kuma, the Director General of the Ethiopian Agriculture Authority (EAA), hailed the facility a game-changing project that would have significant role in the transformation of Ethiopia’s horticulture industry.
Noting that Ethiopia’s horticulture is a national success story in generating hard currencies and creating job opportunities, the Director General said the facility would also contribute to Ethiopia’s national goals for sustainable, climate-smart and resilient growth.
Reiterating that the horticulture industry is demonstrating continuous growth with dedicated engagement of members and strategic interventions of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association – EHPEA, Nega Mequanint, the EHPEA Board Chair, said the facility was launched at a time when the Association is undertaking various sustainable initiatives.
In her remarks on the occasion, H.E. Ambassador Christine Pirenne, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, congratulated the Company for achieving the milestone in Ethiopia’s horticulture by realizing the first facility in its kind for responsible and sustainable horticulture in the country.
Established in 2003 in the Oromia Region, Red Fox Ethiopia PLC has grown to become the largest farm within the global Dümmen Orange network. Spanning 100 hectares of land which includes 40 hectares of state-of-the-art, high-tech greenhouses the farm specializes in the high-quality cultivation of Pelargonia, Poinsettia, Calla Lily, and Rose Rootstock. With 2,500 employees at peak season, it drives significant economic impact, exporting over 120 million cuttings, stems, and tubers annually, and generating a vital foreign currency inflow for the Ethiopian economy.
