Floriculture is playing a tremendous role in Ethiopia’s efforts to beat unemployment and poverty across the nation. It is booming and could one day overtake coffee, its main export commodity. Both buyers and growers benefit from lower freight costs by operating from Ethiopia because of it's proximity to European and west Asian markets.

Exporters cite Ethiopia's location: its proximity to the Middle East and availability of direct flight connections to Europe, Asia and North America.

The climate also enables production of highly marketable premium grade roses as well as summer flowers and carnations. The cool climate in the Ethiopian highlands is ideal for production of roses and other high-value cut flowers. Ethiopia has an ideal production climate for Roses. Warm days and cool nights encourage excellent quality; large buds, long stems and vibrant colour. many varietes of hybrid tea, intermediate and sweet heart roses are produced in 600 hectares of modern greenhouses in the peri-urban area around Addis Ababa and close to the airport.

A few of the varieties available for export:

Roses

Gypsophila

Hypericum

Limonium

Carnation

Statice

Chrysanthemum

Geranium

Ethiopia ships out 70 tonnes of high-quality, pest-free and pesticide residue-free flowers every day but the volume is growing and exporters now have to charter daily flights to Europe in addition to using regular scheduled flights. The flower sector in Ethiopia is growing at almost 200 percent annually.

Flights from its Addis Ababa reach European auctioneers two hours earlier than those from Kenya, which means blossoms stay fresher longer.