Avocado, due to its mono and polyunsaturated fat content, is a great substitution for foods rich in saturated fat. It also contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can contribute to the nutrient quality of our diet.

 

" I was very eager to see the success of this project. But now I can see its long years objective attainment. I think exporting Ethiopian product is a big achievement. This could be a great motivation for those who are engaged in avocado and mango production and export," she stated.

 

Belaynesh further said, " I do not think that if there are quality products, no fear of lack of buyers. Because avocado and mango are most liked fruits. The main thing is keeping them from bacteria and keeping their quality. Once they have been known and promoted well by their quality production processes, every body can easily buy them. But the market brand must be kept to ensure sustainable export. Hence, farmers should concentrate not only on how to harvest, pick and handle but also they have to focus on keeping quality. Hence, all concerned bodies' continuous supports are strongly needed."

According to her, the first product would be exported to Belgium. "It has to be competent product and be prepared based on world class standards. Avocado will not stay for long periods. It has to be transported to the market soon. Means of transportation and related equipment should be facilitated as well. Furthermore, the avocado and mango harvesting shall be expanded; experts and farmers must scale up production technologies and teach others about the proper management and production system.

 

Currently, we are working focusing on avocado, mango and tomatoes among others," she added.

 

Offer Kahani MASHAV coordinator for Small Horticulture Holder Project (SHHP) on his part said that this project was started about six years ago. "We are producing high quality avocado and mango seedlings. These days, we are training the framers who get seedlings from the nursery. The export does not only bring income for the farmers but it also supports the country at national level in bringing hard currency from the small horticulture farmers. We have very good suitable climate for avocado production. We export to Europe, mainly to France. As there is lack of avocado fruits in the market this year, it is possible to get high price. This is the time of harvesting avocado in Ethiopia; everything is very suitable."

Getnet Terefe who cultivates avocado and mango said that the training has added much awareness about how to harvest avocado. " I have 15 mango and 35 avocado trees. I am very much pleased that my product is ready for export. Because I will be very much benefiting. Previously, I do not know much about avocado harvesting. But today I learned how to harvest, pick and handle for export. Getting market lineages will also encourage me for further production," he added.

 

By next week the products will be transported to Belgium and to France, the most avocado consumer countries. These days, the consumption of avocado is getting up by four per cent every year in the world. In general, people around the world started understanding the value of avocado and consuming it, he said.

 

Project Coordinator in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr.Workafese Woldetsedik said that the Butajira project was established in 2005 with the cooperation of Ministry of Agriculture, MASHAV and USAID in order to improve the production, productivity and quality of the horticultural crops mainly fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia concerning small horticulture crops framers. " From that time on words, for the last nine - ten years, we have established five big fruit nurseries in four major regions of Ethiopia: in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nation, Nationalities and Peoples' States. They have 400 thousand grafting seedlings to produce per annum every season," he said.

Dr. Woarkafese further said since the beginning, we have produced 250 thousand plants . Some 95 percent have been distributed to small holders in different parts of the country.

 

He further said, "The other activities which we are engaged in are capacity building activities in order to sustain the development of the sector. We are very much engaged in capacity building of small holder farmers.

 

"We conducted many training programmes on how to prepare grafted seedlings, nurture plants in modern ways. Nearly, five-six hundreds experts were attending training programmes. It seems that to be engaged in fruit production is very simple activity but it is much more complicated. If we do not linked it with markets, all our efforts will be useless. Therefore, now we are trying to establish the link because most of the tree planted before five - six years are ready to give fruits. It is an urgent issue to link them with world market. Fortunately, we have got one company in France which is willing to see the quality of our fruits and then to decide whether to link with us to market our production. We have identified 10 big and small farmers who are ready to sell their product," he added.

Source : allafrica.com