The Ethiopian Horticulture Development Agency announced that Ethiopia has earned 55 million US dollars in horticultural exports in the first quarter of this fiscal year. The revenue was raised from the export of fruits and vegetables as well as flowers and other produce explained the press statement from the agency.
33,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables as well as 450 million cut flowers were exported in this period.
The revenue raised in this period exceeded the amount raised over the same period in the previous fiscal year.
Flower exports represented more than 44 million US dollars of the revenue obtained from horticultural exports.
It is to be remembered that a recent directive from the Ethiopian Horticulture Development Agency had resulted in some dissatisfaction on the part of flower exporters.
The new directive requires flowers for international export to be measured by the kilogram instead of by the number of stems as previously.
Horticulture farmers, however, voice their opposition to the directive on the grounds that kilograms cannot be a standard measurement for all the varieties of flowers grown and exported from the country according to Tsegaye Abebe, Chairman of Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association.
The differences in yield translate to an important advantage for horticulturists in high yield areas while it could mean a loss for farmers in low yield areas competing in the same market.
Another issue raised was the natural tendency of flowers to lose weight during transportation because a considerable portion of their weight is moisture. Therefore difference in the weight of the flowers as per the new measurement might cause conflict with customers according to Tsegaye.
Source: Ethiopia Press Agency
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