On november 4th the Dutch Minister of Agriculture Gerda Verburg and two Ethiopean State Ministers for Agricultural and Rural Development, Aberra Deresa and Yaekob Yalla, handed out the first copy of the new Business Opportunities Report on Oilseeds to Mussie Yacob, President of the Ethiopian Pulses Oilseeds and Spices Processors and Exporters Association (EPOSPEA) and Jaap Biersteker, representing the Dutch Product Board for Margarine, Fats and Oils (MVO).
The report notes that good prospects exist for Ethiopia to further develop the oilseeds sector, at present being the second foreign exchange earner of the country. It underscores the high quality of Ethiopian oilseeds and advises to make extra efforts to strengthen the market position of high-value segments of the market in Europe, USA and Japan. For this it is important to develop assured chains and to export processed products like dehulled sesame or even better: edible oil.
Also, the report sees good opportunities to produce edible oil for the local market based on local production of oilseeds. At this moment the major part of the edible oil consumed in Ethiopia is imported. In addition, the report warns for the risk of monocropping in the case of sesame and stresses the need for increasing productivity through improving cultivation practices.
Policy brief