Ethiopia's flower trade in full bloom

Floriculture has become a flourishing business in Ethiopia in the past five years, with the industry's exports earnings set to grow to $100-million by 2007, a five-fold increase on the $20-million earned in 2005.

Ethiopian flower exports could generate an estimated $300-million within two to three years, according to the head of the government export-promotion department, Melaku Legesse.

A score of investors from The Netherlands, Germany, India and Israel have secured licences for floricultural developments covering 450ha of land in 2006.

Full story at Mail & Guardian Online 19 Feb 2006.