Addis Ababa — Ethiopia is seeking to turn its growing banana production into a major export by improving quality, productivity and market access, according to Ministry of Agriculture.
Agricultural Investment and Input Supply Development Sector State Minister, Sofia Kassa, said Ethiopia has the potential to globally compete in the banana industry. It must, however, improve quality and meet international standards.
While opening the National Banana Conference in Addis Ababa today, she noted that the country has "massive production; but quality is one of the main challenges to penetrate the world market".
The state minister called for stronger efforts to produce export-quality bananas and access international markets beyond Djibouti and Somalia, stressing that production alone cannot deliver the desired economic transformation.
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According to Sofia, Ethiopia can build on its experience in the horticulture sector, particularly in flowers and vegetables, where cooperation among government, producers and the private sector has helped develop production, logistics and international market links.
She reaffirmed the Ministry of Agriculture's commitment to supporting the banana industry through the implementation of the 10-year National Horticulture Strategy and other agricultural policy and financing initiatives.
The state minister also called for increased access to finance and stronger compliance with quality and phytosanitary standards, adding that these are essential to connect Ethiopian producers with global markets.
Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association Executive Director, Tewodros Zewdie, said Ethiopia can generate hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially reaching billions, from fresh and processed banana products if the sector's major constraints are addressed.
"Banana is a multi-billion commodity industry globally. We have not benefited in a meaningful manner when we draw comparison with the potential of our country," he noted.
He identified certified planting materials, productivity improvement, capacity building, finance and stronger coordination among value-chain actors as key priorities for developing the industry.
The Executive Director particularly stressed the need for virus-free banana plantlets and stronger tissue-culture and nursery systems to raise productivity.
"Finance is the biggest elephant in the banana industry," according to Tewodros, who called for greater support from financial institutions and closer cooperation among stakeholders.
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The National Banana Conference, organized by EHPEA under the theme "From Bunch to Breakthrough: Positioning Ethiopia as a Global Banana Export Powerhouse", has brought together government institutions, producers, exporters, researchers, financiers and development partners to discuss production, quality, logistics, financing, market access and value addition.
The conference seeks to identify practical measures to unlock Ethiopia's banana export potential and increase the crop's contribution to income, employment and economic growth.
