Addis Ababa — The development of the floriculture,vegetable and fruit export sector in Ethiopia over the last few years made a significant milestone and contribution to the economic growth of the country. Ethiopia's agro climatic condition make it suitable for the production of a broad range of cut flowers ,fruits as well as vegetables.

Looking its multidimensional benefits, the directory, which comprises almost all relevant information and actors of the sector, is to be published by ITM (Initiative for Transformational Management) International and the Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.

Briefing journalist at Hilton Addis yesterday, ITM Project Manager, Getamesay Geremew said that the directory is designed in a manner to display all the necessary data, fill the information gap in the sector and ultimately play key role in promoting the sector.

According to him, the directory is prepared in hard and soft copy and posted at the directory website. It will be distributed to different parts of the world through Ethiopian embassies, he added.

Getamesay further indicated that in addition to promoting the sector, the directory will contribute a lot in building the image of the country. "The directory consists of detailed information about the country's horticulture potential. Using the directory, anyone from any corner of the world can get information about horticulture equipment, suppliers, chemical manufacturers, airlines, packaging factories, cargo forwarding companies, government agencies, consultants, banking and insurance companies."

The horticulture sector has shown vibrant development. In the year 2011/12 alone, the sector generated 265.71 million USD in addition to creating job opportunities for thousands of Ethiopians.