Lusaka – ZAMBIA
+260 211 229725
info@comesa.int

Ethiopia’s horticulture sub-sector is set for significant growth following the launch of the COMESA-EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) National Chapter. This initiative, unveiled in Addis Ababa on August 13, 2024, is part of a broader strategy to tap into the vast potential of the horticulture industry across the region.

At the launch event, industry stakeholders praised the efforts of the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA-COMESA) and its partners. The CEHA program aims to drive sustainable growth in the horticulture sector across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC).

H.E. Dr. Meles Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Agriculture and Horticulture Development, highlighted the importance of the CEHA Ethiopia National Chapter in coordinating and accelerating the country’s horticulture development. The initiative will focus on three key crops—potatoes, avocados, and onions—chosen for their potential to drive economic growth and align with development partners’ investment priorities.

“These crops have been selected based on their production capacity, significant potential to drive economic growth, and development partners’ investment priorities,” said Dr. Mekonnen, represented at the event by his Advisor, Prof. Ali Mohamad.

The CEHA Ethiopia National Chapter is expected to unite key stakeholders and provide vital support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the selected value chains through matching grants and technical assistance. This approach is anticipated to create jobs, boost regional trade, and reduce postharvest losses, according to industry experts.

ACTESA-COMESA Chief Executive Officer Dr. John Mukuka underscored the initiative’s potential impact. He revealed that under the 2021-2031 Strategic Plan, ACTESA-COMESA is committed to strengthening the horticulture sub-sector. Dr. Mukuka projected that the combined value of avocados, Irish potatoes, and onions could generate an additional USD 230 million annually for approximately 450,000 smallholder farmers in the region.

In 2023, avocados and onions collectively contributed USD 11.2 million in foreign exchange earnings for the region.

“There is significant headroom for growth and job creation through investments and modernisation in these value chains,” Dr. Mukuka remarked. He also emphasized the pivotal role of women in the horticulture value chain and the need to embrace climate-smart technologies.

The implementation of the CEHA Ethiopia National Chapter will involve a series of targeted activities, including advocacy for policy reforms to enhance trade facilitation and market access, provision of financial resources, training, and capacity-building programs for value chain actors, and sector coordination.

Development partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA), participated in the event and pledged their support to ensure the program’s success.

BMGF Senior Programmes Officer Mr. Rafael Flor highlighted the horticulture sub-sector’s potential for job creation, economic development, and foreign exchange earnings. He noted that focusing on these three crops would help the government diversify beyond its traditional emphasis on grains.

FDCO Country Representative Ms. Nina Hissen affirmed the British government’s commitment to fostering partnerships for growth and creating a world free of poverty. She praised CEHA as a prime example of such a partnership.

AGRA Country Director Dr. Yihenew Zewdie called for the harmonization of policies to facilitate cross-border trade within the horticulture sub-sector. He urged stakeholders to ensure the availability of necessary seeds in the right quantities and sustainable manner, expressing confidence that the CEHA initiative would spur innovation.

Established in 2022, CEHA is a collaborative effort to accelerate growth in the fruit and vegetable sub-sector. Ethiopia is the fourth country to launch the CEHA National Chapter, following Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Ethiopia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding today in the presence of stakeholders to cooperate with the East and Southern African Market Coordinating Agency (COMESA) in avocado, red onion and potato products.

The Memorandum of Understanding was held at a forum organized by COMESA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association to recommend and approve a roadmap to solve the value chain problems of horticulture products in Ethiopia, such as avocado, red onion and potato.
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Sector State Minister Adviser, Professor Ali Mohamed explained Ethiopia’s potential for horticulture production and expressed his gratitude to COMESA’s commitment to work with Ethiopia in horticulture production and improving the value chain.
Abdela Negash, Chief Executive Officer of Horticulture Development, said the signing an agreement allows Ethiopia to work together with COMESA to strengthen the relationship between the actors involved in the sector from production up to marketing and to ensure mutual benefit by creating regional cooperation so as to strengthen foreign market linkages.
The CEO added that the agreement will solve the obstacles in the value chain of avocado, red onion and potato products in the regions, starting from seed and export the products including to earn foreign currency.
COMESA Executive Director John Mukuka (Dr.) mentioned that the institution focuses on adding value to horticulture products and marketing, and then the Executive Director expressed his desire to work with Ethiopia in the sector.
Camera: Mathewos Tegegne
Reporter: Yohannes Demeke
About ACTESA
ACTESA is a key institution of COMESA which seeks to provide an answer to the region’s agricultural challenges, including market access-related constraints, low productivity, and technological and policy-related constraints.
Contact Us
COMESA EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) COMESA Building, Left Wing, 2nd Floor, Ben Bella Road, P.O. Box 30051, Lusaka – ZAMBIA
info@comesa.int
+260 211 229725
Copyright ACTESA IT DIVISION © 2025 All Rights Reserved
envelopephone-handset linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram