The Ethiopian vegetable season started recently for Ethfruit, a corporation devoted to the production and shipment of products like onions, tomatoes, carrots or cabbage, which go mostly to the domestic market. According to its Assistant to the CEO, Mr Sisays, "Current prices are really high, as during the winter season (June, July and August) there were less vegetables in production and supply was minimal.”
Besides the domestic market, Ethfruit’s shipments are also sent by truck to neighbouring Djibouti and consist namely of citrus fruits and bananas, as well as onions and tomatoes. Sisays explains that, despite the shortage of refrigerated carriers in Ethiopia “We have our own trucks, which we use for our supermarket and hypermarket programmes.” This doesn’t affect the shipments to Djibouti, which is a traditional market for Ethiopia due to its proximity, as this receives exports that go mostly to the low-income market and ETFRUIT are not using refrigerated trucks for that.
Looking at the long term, Sisays assures that “We are planning to expand the market in the coming years, depending on how communication goes with the supermarkets with a focus on the high income groups." Developing the market is a priority for Ethfruit, as local demand for fruits and vegetables is increasing.
The firm also plans to continue taking steps forward in the export of fruits like bananas, pineapples, avocados and mangoes to other African countries, such as Sudan or Egypt. "Although we still need to improve our varieties and activities.” He also notes that there is plenty of potential for development.
For more information:
Sisays
Ethiopian Fruit and Vegetables Marketing Enterprise (ETFRUIT)
Mobile: 00251-911-47-99-40
Email: mangokeb@yahoo.com