Ethiopia earned an amount of USD $18 million in connection with the hiloday, last year, on exports made to Europe, North America, Middle East and Far East countries.

According to a report by Anadolu Agency in December 2015, Ethiopia is said to be the second-largest flower exporter in Africa after Kenya, with over 100 flower growers on 1,700 hectares. 

Berhanu Ludamo, Promotion and Information Service Head of Ethiopian Horticulture Producers Exporters Association told Anadolu Agency that Ethiopia would soon assume Kenya’s position to become the leading flower exporter in Africa.

Experts told Anadolu Agency on Friday, 11 December 2015, that the Ethiopian flower industry is flourishing, with the help of the government incentives and low labor costs.

Berhanu noted Ethiopia garnered USD $250 million from horticulture export in 2014. The revenue is expected to rise in the current year as a result of expansion of horticultural activity. He added the country is going to grow in the coming five years to garner revenue of USD $550 million from export.

Ethiopia’s climate is a major competitive advantage for floriculture sector, Shiferaw Mitiku, a researcher and agricultural marketing consultant in Addis Ababa, said.

Flower growers in Ethiopia are entitled to the following privileges; a five-year tax holiday, duty free imports, access to bank loans and farmlands, as well as a 100 percent exemption from payment of export customs duties, according to Ethiopian Investment code 2001.

Source: 2Merkato, via HortiBiz