Ethiopia intensifies efforts to tap into global cocoa market potential

 
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia is stepping up efforts to develop its cocoa industry as part of a broader drive to diversify agricultural exports and tap into the lucrative global chocolate market, local media reported Monday.

There are ongoing initiatives to adapt cocoa cultivation to the country's diverse agro-climatic conditions, as the crop remains relatively unfamiliar in Ethiopia but enjoys strong global demand, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation quoted Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) Director General Nigussie Dechassa as saying.

Nigussie said that studies have revealed a "high potential" for cocoa production in Ethiopia, and that researchers have developed a cocoa variety well suited to local climates.

According to the institute, pilot-scale demonstrations of the new variety have yielded "great productivity results." Efforts are now underway to make the improved cocoa plants available to farmers and other producers.

As part of the government's campaign to promote cocoa cultivation, agricultural research centers distributed more than 32,000 cocoa seedlings to farmers during the most recent planting season.

The EIAR said the cocoa development initiative forms part of Ethiopia's broader strategy to boost the productivity of high-value crops, particularly those with strong export potential and industrial applications.

Cocoa trees grow best in equatorial regions, with Africa accounting for about 70 percent of the world's cocoa output, according to the UN Trade and Development. Cocoa serves as the primary ingredient in chocolate and various products.