Abstract

Ethiopia is a country with great variety of climate and soil types that can grow diverse
horticultural crops for home consumption and foreign markets. Currently, the majority of the
horticultural crops product comes from the smallholder farms. However, their areas of
production and their contribution to the country's total agricultural output were not well known.
The development and expansion of horticulture sector is constrained with various production
and research related problems and does not support efforts to transform the smallholder
subsistence irrigated horticultural sector to a more market-oriented to contribute to the new
Growth and transformation plan set by the country. The crops are very diverse and it has
different constraints in every step along the value chain. Among several constraints, lack of high
yielding and high quality cultivars for local market and export, appropriate management
techniques, appropriate disease and insect pest control measures, quality seed supply,
availability of inputs, lack of proper post-harvest technology, trained manpower and research
facilities, lack of marketing and production infrastructure; and lack of seed production and
distribution scheme are the major once. Despite the existing potentials the sector did not
contribute as it supposed to be. This is mainly because of the limited resource allocation to
research and development including the extension services. Therefore, diagnosis of problems
and opportunities of the horticultural crops production in Ethiopia necessitates identifying,
prioritizing and well document them at national level for possible recommendations, action
research and intervention works. In addition, the existence of many actors and stakeholders in
the horticulture value chain desires strong and dedicated institutional set up for successful
development of horticulture in the country. Moreover, little or no actions are implemented in
creating and strengthening linkages with local and international actors along the value chain of
horticultural research and development. This paper summarizes the current horticultural crops
research and development status; its achievements and challenges and suggests possible future
actions that sustain the development of the sector in the country with special emphasis on fruit,
vegetable and root and tuber crops.
Introduction
Ethiopia with diverse soil and climate comprising several agro-ecological regions provides
ample opportunity to grow a variety of horticulture crops. Increasing the yield and production of
horticultural crops is an important factor in ensuring Ethiopian food and nutrition security.
Moreover, it will contribute to the economic growth and
poverty reduction agenda of the country. Because of its strategic importance, the development
strategy of Ethiopia puts emphasis on the intensification of crops production (Engida et al., 2011;
MoFED, 2009; NPC, 2016). As stipulated in the Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable
Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), GTP I and GTPII, horticulture was among the main
agricultural products that received special focus and follow-up during the PASDEP, GTP I and
GTP II plan period. Further special focus and attention is given for horticulture during the
coming GTP II for more intensification of the crops and commercialization of
smallholder.Horticultural crops are rich in vitamins, carbohydrates and other nutrients that
contribute to a major portion to an Ethiopian daily dish mix. Some nutritional deficiencies like
vitamin A and C, and iron can be corrected by use of selected vegetable and root crops as well as
fruits. In some areas of the country, root crops particularly potatoes and sweet potatoes are used
as staple food for considerable portion of the
population. Root crops in general and sweet potato in particular are drought resistant and serve as
security food crops in drought prone areas.Furthermore, vegetables and root crops generate
foreign currency earnings in the country. Horticultural crops play a significant role in developing
country like Ethiopia, both in income and social spheres for improving income and nutrition
status. In addition, it helps in maintaining ecological balance since horticultural crops species are
so diverse. Further, it provides employment opportunities as their management being labor
intensive,
production of these commodities should be encouraged in labor abundant and capital scarce
countries like Ethiopia (Bezabih et al., 2014). Though, the crops form insignificant part of total
agricultural produce in the country. Because of the
cereal based food and production habit of farmers, horticulture was a neglected sector. However,
traditionally different fruits and vegetables, cabbages, enset, pepper, shallot has been produced
by small farmers but recently exotic ones are
also becoming important in commercial production. Even though horticultural crops production
in Ethiopia has been small compared to other crops; currently fruit,
vegetable and root and tuber crops are widely produced in all regions of the country with
different intensities of about an area of 0.55 million ha with 60.78 tons of harvest (CSA,
2018).According to the nation rainy season data, from the total area covered vegetable, fruit and
root and tuber crops have 49%, 33% and 19% share respectively. The irrigation potential of the
country is estimated to be about 3.million
hectares. Of the total potential, only about 20% to 23% of this potential is put under irrigated
agriculture for both traditional and modern irrigation systems (Awulachew et al., 2007; MoA and
ATA, 2011). The existing irrigation development in Ethiopia, as compared to the resources
potential that the country has, is not significant and the irrigation sub-sector is not contributing
its share accordingly. There has been also a steady increase in the demand for different
horticultural crops production for local markets, export and processing sectors. Horticulture has
been contributing
immensely to the country's economic growth and development as the major export earning,
however, the effort in the development horticultural commodities such as vegetables, fruits, root
and tuber crops have been very much limited because of numerous production constraints
(Asmare and Derbew, 2013; Bezabih and Hadera, 2007; Selamawit, 2013;Tesfaye et al.,
2013).Most of horticultural crops such as fruit, vegetable, root and tuber crops are perhaps
among few crops that is cultivated by men and women but mostly harvested, processed and
marketed by women.

Opportunity

Ethiopia has got an immense potential to develop intensive horticulture on small scale as well as
on commercial scale. Some of the favorable factors that contribute to an overall investment are:
1. Proximity to lucrative markets: Ethiopia is strategically located in a very feasible position in
the world map which is relatively in the near distance to the Middle East, East and central Africa,
European countries and the others.
2. Agro-climatic suitability and rich water resources for diversified irrigated agriculture: With a
favorable climate, abundant labor, land and water resources, most regions of the country are
suitable for the production of a wide range of tropical and sub - tropical fruits, vegetables and
flowers.
3. Growth/rise of demand for horticultural crops, particularly in urban areas,
4. The high productivity of horticultural crops as compared to cereals,
5. Export possibilities of these crops are very encouraging
6. Favorable policy support by the government, and frequent effort of research centers, higher
learning institutes and private sectors to develop and disseminate new improved technologies of
horticultural crops
7. Cereal crops price increment from time to time that let people shift the consumption behavior
from cereal products to horticultural crops products. This also lead consumers to mix or
supplement the cereal crops with the horticultural crops products.
8. Presence of development partners (NGOs. Projects, Donors, etc) can be considered as an
excellent resource for dissemination of technologies.
9. High demand of farmers for clean, high yielding, disease and insect resistant varieties and
sufficient seed/planting materials.
10. Farmer’s knowledge improvement in horticultural crop production, utilization of
technologies and small scale irrigation facilities by using harvested rain water, lake water or
water from ponds and streams

Challenges
Despite the importance of horticultural crops in the country economy, contribution to food self-sufficiency, food
security, dietary and medicinal value, and other benefits, its production, utilization and marketing are commonly
various constraints. The most important problems of horticultural crops that the producers and traders facing are lack
of sufficient improved varieties, lack of quality planting materials and supply system, lack of appropriate production
technology, biotic factors mainly disease and insect pests, abiotic factors majorly drought, lack of improved
harvesting, post-harvest handling and storage facilities; Rain fed system of production and most of the production is
from the small scale farm; Cereal based research, extension and consumption system and insufficient socio-
environmental protection of large scale horticultural farms.
A number of constraints and opportunities for further technological, institutional and
organizational innovation for upgrading the production of horticultural crops in the study
areas/districts were identified along the main production and supply. In this subsection, the major
constraints and opportunities are briefly discussed.

Insufficient number of improved varieties of horticultural crops

Horticultural crops produced in the country are clustered in to root and tuber,
vegetables and fruits, beverages and flowers. Some of the horticultural crops such as enset and anchote are
indigenous for Ethiopia or they are produced as food crop in Ethiopia only. They have got little focus in research
and has very few number of varieties were released for official production. More over some of the crops verities
were released before ten years which might be out of the production or even not popularized to the producers.In
Ethiopia there are a number of research centers and higher learning institutes engaged in agricultural technology
development and adaptation activities. But most of them focuses on cereal crops improvement and
agronomic researches. That is one of the most important reasons to limited number of varieties of horticultural
crops. Some of officially released varieties are out of production due to breaking of diseases and unwillingness of
the farmers to produce them because of the natural behavior of the varieties not being under the interest of the
farmers. Crops like cabbage and carrot were produced and consumed for long time but less focus is given to these
crops. There seed are introduced from the abroad and their seed supply, productivity, genetic quality, disease and
pest reaction under farmers’ level is not known. Some of horticultural crops varieties are
introduced from abroad and registered in our variety registry annual book.

2.2. Lack of quality plating materials/seeds

The most bottleneck of horticultural crops development of the country is lack of improved seed in required quality
and quantity. This is because of there was and is no governmental or non-governmental organization responsible for
the multiplication and distribution of horticultural crops seeds (Lemma et al., 2012). Except research centers,some
innovative farmers, very few universities, there is no any formal and accountable seed/planting materials producer in
the country. The only formal state owned crop seed producer in the country is Ethiopian seed enterprise which
covers only 10% of the seed demand of the producers. The larger proportion of the products of the enterprise are
maize and wheat seeds and it plays a role in more accessible areas (Bishaw et al., 2008). Consequently, farmers
engaged in horticultural crops obtain either from their own saving, relatives, neighbors, local market, small shops
and others which are supposed to be low in yield potential and prone to most of the diseases and insects.Despite the
possible of seed production in Ethiopia, the vegetable production sector relies mainly on imported seeds except for
very limited hot pepper and kale traditional production. The imported seeds have negative impact on farmers'
welfare and the demand for foreign currency (Dawit and Hailemariam, 2008).

2.3. Seasonality of production

Since most vegetables are grown under rain fed conditions the supply fluctuates seasonally. The season of lowest
vegetable supply is the main rainy season between June to mid-September when also prices are the highest.Between
October and January there are moderate supply of fresh vegetables but starts to rise in February and reaches its peak
level in April and May (Tadesse, 2015). There is a highlight of production of horticultural crops especially onion
and tomatoes are carried out by using irrigation in some parts of the country like lake tana shore of Amhara region
and central rift valley areas of Oromia region where at least two cycles of irrigations are being practiced (Fantahun
and Yigzaw, 2011). But most of our farmers are dependent on rain fed system of production,and rainfall pattern is
more or less erratic which has direct impact on the quality and quantity of the produce. The potential for irrigation in
Ethiopia is estimated to be about two million hectares. Due to limited experience in water management and control,
limited capital available for investment and the diverse climate and disease vectors characteristics of the lowland
areas (where most irrigation potential is located), irrigated agriculture is far below its potential. Thus production is
heavily dependent on rainfall and uses little capital and technology. Consequently,the average productivity of both
land and labor is extremely low and variable from season to season. Despite these favorable resource donations,
agricultural production has remained mostly close to subsistence level (Tadesse,2015).

2.4. Biotic factors mainly disease and insect pests

Horticultural crops produced in the country experience the most common world diseases and insect pests, for
instance Solanaceous family suffers from late blight (Phythopthra infestance), bacterial wilt, early blight
etc.Particularly, potato is damaged by potato tuber moth whereas sweet potatoes mainly attacked by sweet potato
weevil, sweet potato butter fly and beetle. It also gets attacked by blights, soft rot and virus diseases.Horticultural
crops are being suffering from a number of diseases caused by virus, fungus, bacteria,nematodes etc. Bacterial
Canker, Speck and Spot, Bacterial Wilt, Fusarium Wilt, Early Blight, Late Blight,Powdery Mildew, Root-knot
Nematodes, Viral Diseases(Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus), Blossom-end Rot are some of diseases that attach
tomato at different stages of growth (Mesfin et al., 2009; Mohammed et al., 2009;Wondirad et al., 2009). Different
species of insect pests attack horticultural crops in Ethiopia and cause considerable damage and yield losses. Most of
the insect pests are common for majority of the crops while some
are specific to a given crop (Ferdu et al., 2009b, 2009a; Gashawbeza et al., 2009)

Abstract

Introduction

2. Horticultural crops production and consumption in Ethiopia

2.1Horticultural crops production in Ethiopia

2.1.1 Major horticultural crops producing areas in Ethiopia/ Cultivation zones

2.1.2 Major horticultural crops producing in Ethiopia

2.1.3 Share of horticultural crops in Ethiopia

2.1. 2.1.5 Opportunities and challenges of horticultural crops production in Ethiopia

2.2. Consumption of horticultural crops in Ethiopia

2.2.1 Factors affecting consumption of horticultural crops in Ethiopia

Summary and conclusion

Future projection/ future line work

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