Ethiopian flower growers and exporters are keen to expand their business links with the Dubai Flower Centre (DFC) because of its geographical and logistical advantages in order to boost their supplies to Middle East and the Far East.
This was conveyed to the DFC delegation headed by Mr. Ibrahim Ahli, Marketing Director, which visited various government and private sector organizations and met officials including Tsegaye Abebe, Chairman of Ethiopian Horticulture Producers & Exporters Association (EHPEA), who promised to lead a delegation to Dubai to visit the DFC complex. Besides the EHPEA official, the team from Dubai also met more than 10 leading growers and exporters in Ethiopia.
Mr. Ibrahim Ahli said: “Nearly all the officials and business leaders the delegation spoke to are of the opinion that DFC could play a crucial role in facilitating their exports to various regions around the world. Currently most of the horticulture and floriculture products from Ethiopia are routed through other transshipment centres, which have created various bottlenecks at the receiving end.”
“Ethiopian growers and exporters feel DFC could offer them cost advantages by way of less freight charges and faster turnaround time. In some cases nearly 60% of the cost goes for freight. Thus Ethiopians feel DFC could act as a key transshipment centre that could make their products cost-competitive,” remarked Mr. Ibrahim Ahli.
Ethiopian products are attractive to the Middle East, Russia and Far East markets, since the roses are with big heads, similar to Ecuadorian/Colombian products. This is because Ethiopian farms enjoy an ideal growing high altitude and appropriate weather, besides good seasonal rain.
The DFC being a one-stop shop for local and international buyers, traders and exporters - offers several benefits including a closed loop supply chain system that ensures the right temperature from aircraft to the climate-controlled zone, a supply chain intelligence that offers state-of-the-art computerized tracking system, and a business-friendly free-zone environment.
“Such features have greatly interested the Ethiopian business leaders who felt these advance features could be beneficial to their exports,” said Mr. Ibrahim Ahli.
While some of the business leaders in Addis Ababa felt that a representative office of the EHPEA could be set up to facilitate their businesses, some others have formed “Ethio Hortishare” back in Ethiopia, which is looking after the logistics side of the business.
“Such has been the interest generated by the facilities at DFC that a delegation from Ethiopia is expected to visit the centre in the near future to get first-hand information about setting up office or warehouse. We are confident their mission will be useful in establishing stronger business links with their export destinations through DFC,” Mr. Ibrahim Ahli said.
More importantly, DFC’s computerized tracking system ensures access to all parties, allowing exporters and importers the ability to track the flight status, product loadings and temperature of their products through the supply chain process, which could address some of the problems being faced by the Ethiopians.
Facilities at the DFC cater not just to flowers but anything that is perishable and needs a cool chain process, like fruits, vegetables and fresh meat or fish, pointed out Mr. Ahli.
