Ethiopia is a country endowed with many spices products. By adding values to spice products and processing part of them, the nation exports spice to various parts of the world. Spice is, therefore, one area that helps the country to gain foreign currency income.
Turmeric is one of the top listed spices in Ethiopia which produces in the South Nation and Nationality and partly in Oromia states. Little producers are partly processing turmeric and supplying for the international market. Due to the less quality and quantity of turmeric, the country has earned less amount of foreign currency. In short, producing turmeric both in quality and quantity and expanding market destinations is quite imperative to up the income from the export and make the farmers beneficiary
Nati Coffee and Spice processing company is one among the top listed investors engaged in turmeric production. Of the total 120 hectares of land, the company covered its 40 hectares of land with turmeric products and harvested once a year, said Company General Manager Getachew Mamo.
“On average, we harvest 70 to 100 quintals of turmeric per annum. Though the company has been producing turmeric since its inception, it has exported spice products over the past six years and created permanent and temporary jobs for 26 and 300 citizens respectively.
However, presently due to the pandemic, it is difficult to get sufficient labourers. Even the existing workers are not able to do their job in their full capacity. Nevertheless, things are facilitated for few workers to do their job keeping their distance even if their performance is inadequate.
Apart from producing turmeric by its capacity, the company organized 150 farmers and encouraged them to produce the same by buying the yield at a reasonable cost. The company then exports semi-processed turmeric products for its customers abroad.
India, Singapore and Dubai are countries that received Ethiopia’s turmeric product; Getachew said adding that presently, though the company is not capable of exporting the product to Dubai and Singapore, the export to India is still operating. As the product is highly demanded by these countries, if we can produce the spice keeping the desired quality and quantity, the country can get extensive market access and earn a sizable amount of foreign currency.
In this regard, the company planned to increase turmeric product productivity adding value to it. For this to happen, the government should work to increase such sort of product giving special emphasis. If financial institutions such as the Development Bank facilitate loans to investors, they can increase the product both in quality and quantity using modern machinery.
Though turmeric products are increasing, as the exported products were not keeping their quality or holding Aflatoxin, the spice sector was faced with challenges. By lobbying recipient countries, dodging illegal traders who export unqualified products of turmeric abroad, the company is striving to build the image of the country concerning spice products.
The absence of quality exists when the product is accumulated without drying it properly. As it generates Aflatoxin substance, the decayed turmeric is hazardous to human health. Therefore, the challenge can only be avoided by drying the turmeric products.
The general manager said that to address the challenge sustainably, the company is striving to ensure quality products through raising awareness of farmers, offering continuous training and supplying seeds. In doing so, things are changing for the better. Without limiting ourselves, we have to work harder to increase the quality and quantity of turmeric products to get a better income.
On the other hand, the government should encourage farmers to provide various supports. The farmers will get benefit if it produces a sizable amount of turmeric products. If they get little support from the government, farmers can produce quality products and gain benefit from producing spices such as turmeric. If this is so, the country will maximize foreign currency earnings more than ever before.
Indicating that there is no other challenge observed in the production and processing of turmeric, he said that the Tea and Coffee Authority should offer training on how farmers produce quality products. Oftentimes, knowingly exporters who supply turmeric products mixing unwanted materials on spice products are swaying the export performance. If we make strong supervision, providing quality products things will change, he said.
Molla Demisse, Spice Product Preparation and Agro-processing Director at Tea and Coffee Authority said that the spice sector has not received special attention like coffee. Various tasks have been carried out in the existing and adopt new turmeric species that came from abroad. Effective and productive species would be supplied for willing and intensive farmers. The agreement made between them is, producers will return seeds they take from the authority in the harvest season.
By its nature turmeric is boiled after rooting out from the soil. However, the farmer uses traditional methods that took extensive amounts of labour, firewood and time. However, some associations tried to support farmers by providing technology that simplifies the task of cooking and laminating the product easily, the director said.
The authority has been providing timely assistance both for farmers and traders apart from offering training to raise knowledge towards the production, processing and handling of turmeric products.
To creating market linkage, the authority has not been providing due support for the spice sector and that can be cited as a hurdle. Nowadays, research has been conducted to identify natural and manmade challenges and remedies to make the sector effective.
According to the study, most commonly, the sector is challenged by man-made glitches. One is supplying turmeric mixing with unrelated elements. Some other traders are mixing other colourful substances in the spice to make its colour very attractive. Though the authority has deliberated with stakeholders on the identified remedies, what is left is implementation.
Even society has been undermining the spice sector. “Spice is nothing but makes our food spicy and enjoyable.” said the majority of the public. Even spice products will be produced magnificently, the people do not consider its benefits.
These days, spice is one among many sectors that help the youth and women to earn their living. If we can plant turmeric seeds in a plot of land, many people can be beneficial from this economic subsector. For this to happen, various tasks need to be carried out.
According to Getachew, turmeric production continues increasing over the past three years. By the year 2019 alone, the country was able to produce 244,287 quintals of turmeric.
As it does not require spending huge amounts of capital and intensive care, one can get an extensive amount of turmeric products easily, said Getachew adding that once the land is covered by the seed, farmers can collect the yield keeping its harvest time.
On the other hand, the element found in turmeric is useful both for meal and colour preparation. Therefore, utilizing all the opportunities and facilitating conditions, turmeric can be produced as per the desired quality and quantity for the benefit of the society and the nation as well.
Concerning market linkage, it is essential to create a market that pays for quality turmeric products. If we can do this, farmers will be encouraged to produce it extensively.
By and large, giving special attention to the sector, strengthening the market and quality control system, raising awareness of farmers, the country can maximize profit out of the spice sector in general and turmeric spice in particular.
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
The Ethiopia Herald May 14/2021