- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The MAHEBER programme has reached a major milestone in its ambition to transform Ethiopia’s horticultural sector with the completion of a comprehensive study identifying the structural constraints limiting its development. Launched in September 2025, the study provides an in-depth analysis of Ethiopia’s horticultural value chain. It adopts a systemic approach, covering the entire ecosystem — from production to market access — to better understand the dynamics shaping the sector’s performance.
The analysis examines the policy and regulatory environment, the roles and interactions of public and private stakeholders, and the practical conditions affecting production, processing, and trade. It also takes into account rapidly evolving global trends, including stricter food safety and phytosanitary requirements, environmental and organic certification standards, shifting buyer expectations, and increasing competition from other exporting countries.
Logistics challenges were a central focus, highlighting persistent constraints such as high air freight costs, limited cargo flight availability, long transit times, and tax-related barriers.
To ensure a strong grounding in sector realities, the study draws on a wide range of sources, including institutional data, industry publications, contributions from the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA), insights from EU-funded programmes, and direct engagement with sector stakeholders. Interviews, focus group discussions, and consultations enabled the integration of perspectives from across the industry.
This process led to the identification of ten critical bottlenecks affecting the sector’s competitiveness. These include limited access to high-quality and disease-free planting material, shortages of skilled technical labour, insufficient packhouse and cold chain infrastructure, a lack of accredited laboratory services, and gaps in export benchmarking practices. The study also highlights broader systemic issues, such as reactive marketing approaches among some exporters, delays in product registration processes, the circulation of counterfeit agricultural inputs, and ongoing challenges in accessing finance and foreign exchange.
Beyond diagnosis, the study underscores the need for stronger coordination across the entire ecosystem. It calls for enhanced collaboration between businesses, regulatory authorities, logistics providers, retailers, and producers, including smallholder farmers. It also emphasizes the importance of developing a coordinated promotion strategy, both at national level — particularly in terms of branding and positioning — and at enterprise level, with targeted support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
A consultation and validation workshop held on 26 February 2026 provided an opportunity to refine the analysis, foster in-depth dialogue among technical partners, and jointly validate the findings with both public and private stakeholders.
The study was officially presented during the Hortiflora fair on 25 March 2026, in the presence of the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA), EHPEA, development partners, and key sector stakeholders. It is now entering its final publication phase and will soon be widely shared.
More than a report, this study provides a strategic foundation to guide future investments, reforms, and partnerships. It marks the starting point of a broader transformation process aimed at unlocking the full potential of Ethiopia’s horticultural sector under the MAHEBER programme.
This activity is implemented by COLEAD and supported by the MAHEBER Program (Mobilizing Actors in Horticulture for Entrepreneurship and Boosting Ethiopian Resilience), funded by the European Union through the EU Delegation in Ethiopia. This communication has been produced with the financial support of the EU. Its contents are the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU.
