South Ethiopia Regional State is actively preparing to enter the Middle Eastern banana market, as stated by Haliemariam Tesfaye, the Head of the State's Agricultural Bureau. The strategy includes not only targeting Middle Eastern countries but also enhancing banana exports to adjacent nations like Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti.
The region's climate is conducive to banana farming, with an extensive area of 113,000 hectares dedicated to its cultivation. Recent records show a production of 15.8 million quintals (1.58 million tons) of bananas over five months, aiming for an annual production of 35 million quintals (3.5 million tons).
To achieve this, the state is focusing on the distribution of high-quality banana seedlings to model farmers, achieving yields of up to 500 quintals (50 tons) per hectare in investment fields. Organic, export-ready bananas are being produced in all 12 zones of the state, with notable contributions from the Gamo, Wolayta, and South Omo zones.
This initiative is seen as a means to support job creation, enhance incomes, and improve food security in the region. Ethiopia's journey with banana exports began in 1961.
Source: 2Merkato