First banana exports for Ethiopia

Created: Thursday, 23 February 2012 17:13

The Ethiopian Horticulture Development Agency (EHDA) has celebrated the East African nation’s first ever banana exports

Ethiopia’s economy has been heavily reliant on thriving coffee yields as its main cash crop for many years but the EHDA has been encouraging Ethiopian farmers to acquire new farming techniques and new crops in recent years. Against this backdrop, the country recently recorded its first shipment of 40 tons of organic bananas to Saudi Arabia.

According to the EHDA, at least 11,400 farmers are involved in the project covering 3,100 ha. It added that Ethiopia was in the process of exporting 200 tons of bananas per week for the market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following an agreement with a foreign export company.