EHPEA

Advancing Workforce Development in Ethiopia’s Horticulture Sector

The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises (NHO), in partnership with the EHPEA TVET Center, has successfully trained over 236 farm employees through its Apprenticeship Program, implemented in alignment with Ethiopia’s national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) standards.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in enhancing practical competencies, workplace safety, and overall productivity within the horticulture sector. The training focused on key areas, including:
• Basic chemical safety protocols
• Core horticultural production tasks
• Sustainable horticultural practices

Participants acquired essential skills to perform nursery operations and apply safety measures, contributing to improved farm operations and compliance with national standards.

This program highlights the importance of international collaboration and local capacity building. By leveraging EHPEA’s technical expertise and aligning with the TVET framework, it supports the development of a skilled workforce capable of meeting both domestic and global market demands.

With continued support from NHO, the Apprenticeship Program is expected to expand further empowering youth and women, and driving long-term transformation across Ethiopia’s horticulture value chain.

Horti Campus: Revolutionizing Horticulture Training in Ethiopia

Access to quality training is now easier than ever. We’re proud to see our new eLearning platform, Horti Campus, already making a big impact, with 100 learners enrolled actively participating in our courses ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ and ‘Environmental Sustainability’, since the launch of our Horti Campus on May 29, 2025.

The eLearning platform designed to make high-quality training more accessible for horticulture professionals across Ethiopia.

The Horti Campus is revolutionizing how we build skills in the sector. The platform offers flexible, cost-effective training, saving time and resources for farm managers and agronomists.

Join us in shaping a smarter, more sustainable future for Ethiopian horticulture!

https://horticampus.ehpea.org

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ሆርቲ ካምፐስ፡ የኢትዮጵያ ሆርቲካልቸር ስልጠናን የሚያሻሽል አዲስ ዘመናዊ መድረክ

በቅርቡ በኢትዮጲያ ሆርቲካልቸር አምራች ላኪዎች ማህበር ይፋ የተደረገው “ሆርቲ ካምፓስ” ስልጠና ድህረ ገፅ ከመጀመሪያው ቀን ጀምሮ ታላቅ ተፅዕኖ እየፈጠረ ነው፤ እስካሁን ድረስ 100 ተማሪዎች ተቀብሎ “የሥራ ጤናና ደህንነት” እና “የአካባቢ ተስማሚነት” ኮርሶች ላይ ስልጠና እየሰጠ እይገኛል።

ይህ መድረክ መላ አገሪቱ ላሉ ባለሙያዎች፣ ሰራተኞች፣ የልማት ጣቢያ ሰራተኞች እንዲሁም በዘርፉ ፍላጎት ያላቸው ተቋማት ወቅታዊ እና ከፍተኛ ጥራት ያለው ስልጠና በመስጠት የሃገራችንን የሆርቲካልቸር ዘርፍ የአቅም ግንባታን ለመለወጥ ያለመ ነው።

ከዚህም በተጨማሪ የሆርቲ-ካምፓስ የስልጠና ድህረ ገፅ ስራ መጀመር ኢትዮጵያ በሆርቲካልቸር ኢንደስትሪ የበለጠ ተፎካካሪ እንድትሆን ተጨማሪ አቅም የሚፈጥር ሲሆን በግብርና የሰው ኃይልን በመለወጥ ረገድ የዲጂታል ትምህርት ያለውን ተፅዕኖ እና የወደፊት እምቅ አቅም በመጋራት ረገድ ወሳኝ ሚና ይጫወታል።

የሰለጠነ የሰውሃይል በመፍጠር የሃገራችንን የሆርቲካልቸር ዘርፍ እንገንባ!

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Waltajjii HortiiCaampaasii: Leenjii Damee Hoortiikaalcharii Itiyoophiyaa Warraaqsu

Leenjii qulqullina qabu argachuun amma yeroo kamiyyuu caalaa salphaa ta’eera. Caamsa darbee kana ebbiifamee Hortii caampasiin, dhiibbaa guddaa uumuun, barattoonni 100 ol galmaa’an Leenjii ‘Fayyaa fi Nageenya Hojii’ fi ‘Itti Fufiinsa fi Kunuunsa Naannoo’ irratti dammaqinaan hirmaacha Jiru.

Waltajjiin eLearning kun leenjii qulqullina olaanaa qabu ogeessota Hoortiikaalcharii guutuu Ityoophiyaatti akka dhaqqabamu gochuuf qophaa’e.

Waltajjiin Hortiicaampaasii damee kana keessatti dandeettii fi Beekumsaa Maamiltoota dabaluun Warraqsaa Ummaa Jiraachisuu itti fuferaa.

Waltajjiin kun leenjii jijjiiramaa, baasii xiqqaa, yeroo fi qabeenya qusatuun hoggantoota fi ogeeyyiiwwanif ni kenna.

Waliin taane Egere Hoortiikaalcharii ni Jijjiraa!

https://horticampus.ehpea.org

Strengthening Ethiopia’s Floriculture Sector: Inception Report Validation Workshop on False Codling Moth (FCM)

Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) , in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA), successfully coordinated an Inception Report Validation Workshop with implementation led by CABI focused on building national capacity to combat False Codling Moth (FCM), a major phytosanitary threat to Ethiopia’s floriculture exports.

The workshop brought together 45 participants, including rose growers, EHPEA trainers, experts from Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA), along with representatives from the Netherlands Embassy and TMA technical teams. This diverse engagement highlighted the power of collaboration in safeguarding Ethiopia’s horticulture industry.

Key objectives included:

  • Validating the inception report,
  • Strengthening stakeholder engagement across the value chain, and
  • Defining a clear roadmap for implementation.

Discussions centered on harmonizing inspection protocols, improving monitoring systems, and equipping actors with tools and knowledge to comply with international standards.

The initiative will directly benefit rose growers, EHPEA trainers, and EAA experts through:

  • Capacity building for key personnel,
  • Systems approach assessments,
  • Development of SOPs for inspections, and
  • Introduction of FCM audit and check sheets for consistent monitoring.

This milestone underscores a shared commitment to advancing science-based solutions, quality assurance, and global market readiness for Ethiopia’s floriculture sector. EHPEA is proud to continue fostering partnerships that drive sector transformation and enhance export competitiveness.

EHPEA Launches Training on Reducing Avocado Postharvest Losses in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is actively promoting awareness about avocado postharvest losses through a series of training programs focused on a recent study titled “Assessment of Post-harvest Losses across the Avocado Value Chain in Ethiopia.”

In the most recent session, 71 horticulture extension experts from South and Central Ethiopia convened to explore effective strategies for minimizing postharvest losses and maximizing the export potential of avocados.

Ato Admasu Aweke, Deputy Head of the South Ethiopia Regional State Bureau of Agriculture and distinguished guest, emphasized the significance of avocados as a priority export crop for Ethiopia. He stressed the urgent need to tackle the alarming postharvest loss rates identified in the study, which range from 39% to 43%.

The training also highlighted the benefits of cluster farming as a means to boost productivity and improve market access. Participants were provided with detailed, actionable steps for attaining GlobalGAP certification, a crucial accomplishment for Ethiopian avocado producers. Achieving this certification will help them meet international standards, enhance traceability, and command better market prices.

EHPEA Receives Pivotal Infrastructure

EHPEA is pleased to announce that it has received various important IT equipment including high performing editing desktops, laptops, servers and UPS from TradeMark Africa (TMA) to reinforce its Horti-Campus, an E-learning platform, and knowledge management within EHPEA.

The delivered items include 12 laptop computers, 3 desktop working station, 1 editing desktop and 1 editing laptop, dell server and UPS, among others.

During the handover, Country Representative of Trademark Africa to Ethiopia, Mr. Ewnetu Taye stated that the support is intended to build the E-learning delivery and knowledge management of EHPEA thereby to ensure the competitiveness of Ethiopia’s horticulture export internationally. He emphasized the need to properly utilize the resources for the intended purpose and also to elevate the capacity of horticulture operators in the country.

በደቡብ ኢትዮጵያ ክልል ኦሞራቴ አካባቢ ኢንቨስትመንቶቹን ይበልጥ ውጤታማ ለማድረግ የሚያስችል ውይይት ተካሔደ

በደቡብ ኢትዮጵያ ክልል ኦሞራቴ አካባቢ መዋዕለ ንዋያቸውን በአትክልት እና ፍራፍሬ ኢንቨስትመንት ላይ ካፈሠሡ የሀገር ውስጥና የውጭ ባለሀብቶች ጋር እያጋጠሙ ያሉ ተግዳሮቶችን በመፍታት ኢንቨስትመንቶቹን ይበልጥ ውጤታማ ለማድረግ የሚያስችል ውይይት በሀያት ሪጀንሲ ሆቴል ተካሔደ።

EHPEA Joins Hands for a Greener, Healthier Ethiopia!

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is proud to be part of a remarkable initiative aimed at creating a greener future for our beloved country. As part of Ethiopia’s ambitious goal to plant 700 million seedlings in a single day, our dedicated board members and management team have come together to take action!

Today, we enthusiastically joined the call from the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) and rolled up our sleeves to plant tree seedlings in the Furi area of Sheger city. This effort is not just about planting; it’s about contributing to the global movement for environmental protection and sustainability.

As we are promoting the Ethiopian Horticulture sector, we urge to amplify the incredible impact of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative even further by incorporating every tree planted didn’t just green our landscapes, but also filled our homes with fresh, nutritious food.

By strategically incorporating fruit trees into our planting efforts, we can boost food security, create new economic opportunities for communities, and nourish families for generations to come. This isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about cultivating a healthier, more prosperous Ethiopia for all!

Ethiopia Earns Over $564 Million USD from Horticulture Exports!

Ethiopia’s horticulture sector continues to shine on the global stage, generating an impressive $564.89 million USD in export revenue over the past fiscal year!

This impressive achievement highlights the increasing global demand for Ethiopian-grown flowers, cuttings, fruits, vegetables, and herbs, celebrated for their high quality and sustainable cultivation practices.

The sector’s consistent growth is driven by the unwavering commitment of producers, rising production volumes, and the strong synergy between farms and the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA).

EHPEA’s proactive role in addressing sector-wide challenges through close collaboration with the government, private sector, and international stakeholders, has been instrumental in advancing the industry and unlocking new market opportunities.

Key drivers of this success include:

• Adoption of modern farming technologies and climate-smart practices

• Enhanced compliance with international standards and certifications

• Improved market access

As Ethiopia continues to strengthen its position as a major horticulture exporter, this milestone serves as a strong indicator of the sector’s potential to contribute to job creation, rural development, and economic growth.

Congratulations to all the hardworking farmers, exporters, and stakeholders driving this success!

HoPR Standing Committee Commends Floriculture Farms’ Environmental Progress in Bishoftu Visit

Members of House of People’s Representatives (HoPR), Standing Committee on Plan, Budget, and Finance Affairs have paid a visit to the environmental performance of floriculture farms in Bishoftu cluster today. The committee reviewed the progress achieved after it sets direction in May this year.

The committee members lauded farms that implemented environmental friendly and state-of-the-art technology to reduce pesticide application and also to expedite the composting process of green waste in the farms. They have also expressed the need to pay utmost attention to correct those farms that failed to comply with local and international legislations.

The committee members also expressed their readiness to contribute to the creation of better enabling environment for the smooth functioning of the industry.

Dr. Meles Mekonnen, State Minister of Ministry of Agriculture on his part stated that the concerted efforts of Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Authority, Ethiopian Agriculture Authority and EHPEA have addressed the previous concerns of the committee. He went on to say that the direction set by the committee is implemented by the coordinated efforts of the pertinent institutions. Accordingly to him, noticeable achievements are scored with regard to environmental compliance to ensure sustainability.

Ambassador Deriba Kuma, Director General of Ethiopian Agricultural Authority, underscored that his authority is strictly enforcing measures with regard to environmental compliance associated with chemicals, fertilizers, bio-pesticides management and disposal so as to ensure the safety of workers, surrounding community and the environment at large. According to Ambassador Deriba, the inspection conducted by his authority shows promising progress as far as environmental management issues of the farms is concerned.

Tewodros Zewdie, Executive Director of Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association on his part explained in detail with regard to interventions by the industry meant to address sustainability issues including , among others, construction of used water treatment plants, development of national standard for horticulture effluent, the expansion of biological control agents application, turning of green waste in to compost. He also briefed the MPs about the current challenges of the industry.

Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) Standing Committee on Plan, Budget, and Finance plays a pivotal crucial in reviewing the government’s financial cycle, including the national budget, its implementation, and related legislation. It also examines the performance audit of institutions.

Ethiopia Launches Transformative 10-Year National Horticulture Strategy!

Today marks a pivotal moment for Ethiopia’s agricultural sector with the official launch of the 10-Year National Horticulture Strategy and Enset Development Flagship. The event, is being held at the Skylight Hotel, brought together esteemed higher government officials and key stakeholders to unveil a strategic roadmap poised to revolutionize horticulture and enset farming nationwide.

This comprehensive strategy is designed to significantly enhance food and nutrition security, drive export diversification, facilitate import substitution, and provide essential raw materials for agro-processing. Furthermore, it aims to stimulate infrastructure development, improve productivity, and create sustainable job opportunities across Ethiopia.

Spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture, this ambitious initiative is a testament to the dedicated collaboration with a wide array of partners. Key contributors include the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA), the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Ethiopian Agricultural Authority, SNV, RTI, American State Department and many other valuable organizations.

With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, Ethiopia is set to elevate its horticulture sector, empower farmers, and significantly contribute to the nation’s economic prosperity.

Stay tuned for further updates on the outcomes of today’s launch and the transformative initiatives that will follow.

Contact Info

Location : Micky Leyland Avenue on the Road to Atlas Hotel, NB Business Center; 6th floor; Room #603
Phone : +251 11 6636750
P.O.Box: 22241 Code 1000
Email: info@ehpea.org

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