HORTICULTURE
- August 31, 2017
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Key Reasons for Investing in Horticulture
- Ideal conditions for growing a wide array of fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices given the existence of diverse agro-climatic zones, long growing seasons, and availability of water for irrigation, including 122 billion cubic meters of surface water and 2.6 billion cubic meters of ground water.
- Exponential growth: Although only a decade old, horticulture is the fifth foreign revenue earner for Ethiopia, generating US$245 million in 2013/2014 compared to US$28.5 million in 2004/2005.
- Large available workforce: The industry creates over 180 thousand jobs, out of which 85% are for women – a section of the population that has been historically under-employed.
- Abundant land availability: Total land area available for horticulture is about 12,552 hectares, with only 11% of this land being developed for horticulture.
- International demand: Currently, over 130 international investors are operating in Ethiopia’s horticulture sector, exporting to the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Belgium, UAE, France, Japan Italy and the United States, among others.
