Ethiopia has earned over $360 million from horticultural exports in the first eight months of its current fiscal year, which began in July 2024, a senior government official announced recently.

Speaking at the opening of the International Floriculture and Horticulture Trade Fair in Addis Ababa, Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente revealed that the country generated approximately $366 million from exporting horticultural commodities to international markets.

Flower exports accounted for the largest share of this revenue, highlighting Ethiopia’s growing role as a major player in the global floriculture industry. Amente emphasized that the government is actively working to harness the sector’s vast potential to boost foreign exchange earnings and create employment opportunities for the country’s expanding youth population.

According to recent data from the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, Ethiopia’s top flower export destinations include the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the primary markets for its vegetable exports are Somalia, Djibouti, and the Netherlands.

The ministry also reported that Ethiopia earned a record $3.84 billion from overall goods exports in the first seven months of the fiscal year, exceeding its initial target by 146 percent.