An international floriculture and horticulture trade fair that involves 120 local and foreign participants will be opened in March, 2018 in Addis Ababa.
The 120 participants of “HORTIFLORA EXPO 2018” are producers, inputs suppliers, consultants, buyers and stakeholders, it was learned.
Alongside the three-day event, business meetings and workshops of stakeholders will be conducted.
Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association Director-General, Tewodros Zewde said over 40 participants from Australia, Japan, US, South Korea, Europe, Middle East and African countries will take part in the exhibition.
He added that this is a great opportunity to introduce new investment opportunities for international actors.
According to Tewodros, the forum will also focus on expanding Ethiopia’s experience, and companies working in the field.
Power outage and lack of integration on the part of stakeholders are among the challenges the industry has been facing, he pointed out.
The industry has grown rapidly and created jobs for many citizens in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is the second leading African flower exporting country, he noted, adding that the association is working closely with the government to exploit the potential of the sector in areas of fruits and vegetables, according to ENA.
In a related development, the Second International Agro-Industry Investment Forum will be held in Addis Ababa from 5 to 8 March 2018.
The high-level Investment Forum will focus on food processing, textiles and garments, leather and leather products, as well as allied sectors such as packaging and renewable energy.
It will feature participants from the public and business sector, including current and potential investors, international and domestic enterprises, industry associations, international organizations and financial institutions, as well as representatives from the Government of Ethiopia.
The First International Agro-Industry Investment Forum was held from October 5-7, 2016. It was jointly organized by UNIDO and Ethiopian government.
Over 1,200 participants took part in the fourm.
[www.fanabc.com]