Ethiopia's floriculture industry is heading to the North American market

In Ethiopia, the floriculture sub-sector is planning to conquer the North American market.
According to Girum Abebe, regional director of the airline Ethiopian Airlines, the implementation of a cargo flight to the cities of Miami, Los Angeles or New York, is currently being evaluated to facilitate Ethiopian exports of cut flowers to this destination.
According to the leader, this new adventure to the North American market will require the revision of the air services treaties between the country, Canada and the US; and can be explained in particular by the opportunities offered by this region.
Indeed, if the country currently sends 90% of its shipments to the Netherlands for re-export to the old continent, it also wants to take advantage of the image of countries such as Ecuador and Colombia, a North American market. which is one of the world’s leading importers of horticultural products.
” Many people do not know it, but the flower market is highly globalized. In Ethiopia, the sector is doing well because of cheap labor compared to Kenya and the favorable climate for good flowering. Says Cindy van Rijswick, Rabobank Floriculture Industry Analyst.
Employing about 180,000 people, 85% of whom are women, floriculture is currently grown on 2,000 hectares, an area that is expected to increase by 6,100 hectares in the long term, according to the objectives of the Ethiopian government.
The country received at the end of the fiscal year 2016/2017, $ 218 million through the export of cut flowers.
Source: Ecofin Agency