Avocado production and exports in Oromia State are experiencing growth, with plans to export 12,000 quintals of the fruit in the 2024/25 fiscal year, the Oromia State Agriculture Bureau announced.

Tegegn Erana, Fruit Development Director at the Bureau, revealed that extensive efforts were underway to meet the export target, focusing on markets in the Middle East and neighboring countries. In the current budget year, the bureau planned to export 1,000 quintals but had already shipped 610 quintals to Europe.

Over the past months, the region produced 2.9 million quintals of avocados, with 30,145 hectares of land under cultivation out of a total coverage of 55,112 hectares. Last fiscal year, production reached 6.5 million quintals.

The bureau's efforts involve planting 20 million avocado saplings, of which 12.5 million have been planted since June. Avocado development activities engage thousands of people, with 1,751 clusters established across 185 woredas in 21 zones of Oromia.

To address challenges such as input shortages and skill gaps, the bureau is collaborating with stakeholders. Training programs on production and value-chain development are being offered to farmers and exporters to boost productivity and market readiness.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald

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