ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia is keen to boost foreign earnings from the export of oil seeds, pulses and spices sub sector, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade.
The East African country on Wednesday awarded top oil seeds, pulses and spices sub sector exporters, aiming to further augment the country's export earnings from the sector.
In an international conference held in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade in collaboration with Ethiopian Pulses, Oilseeds and Spices Processors-Exporters Association (EPOSPEA) has awarded 9 exporters that have earned Ethiopia a total of over 150 million U.S. dollars during last fiscal year.
Assad Ziad, Ethiopian State Minister of Trade, said that Ethiopia has targeted to increase the production of pulses, oil seeds and spices and income from the sector during the second five-year Growth and Transformation Period (GTP II/2016-2020).
Ethiopia has annually earned a total of 752.75 million U.S. dollars on average from pulses, oil seeds and spices sub sector over the last five years.
Haile Berhe, President of EPOSPEA, said that Ethiopia has generated 472 million U.S. dollars from oil seeds, 232 million USD from pulses and 22 million U.S. dollars from spices, despite the global price decline of agricultural commodities.
The oil seeds sector, that mainly produces Sesame seed, constitutes the top three awardees.
Ethiopia, with 171,546 tonnes of export, is the largest supplier of sesame seed to China, world's largest importer of the product.
According to the association, as Chinese demand of sesame seed is increasing, Ethiopia is working to maintain its Chinese market share, which imports 60 percent of Ethiopia's total sesame production.
