ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – May 19, 2025 – A high-level joint delegation, led by H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of the Ministry of Finance, Ethiopia , and Ambassador Christine Pirenne of the Netherlands Embassy in Ethiopia , along with their respective teams, conducted a visit on May 19, 2025 to review the implementation status of a new joint dry port investment project between the Ethiopian and Netherlands governments. The visit included tours of Mojo Dry Port, an agricultural farm, Ethio Veg Fru, and a flora farm, Florensis.

This initiative represents a strategic investment by the Ethiopian government contributing approximately half of the total investment of an estimated 50 million USD in total. H.E. Semereta Sewasew noted that the core objectives of the project are to stabilize the domestic market for various agricultural products and to promote foreign exports. Developing the necessary facilities is considered crucial for expanding and enhancing Ethiopia's agriculture and agro-processing sector, where the country holds a competitive advantage, the state minister added.

Ambassador Christine Pirenne underlined that this joint investment and the accompanying visits underscore the commitment of both the Ethiopian and Netherlands governments to strengthening Ethiopia's agricultural capacity, boosting exports, reducing post-harvest losses, and contributing to food availability and price stability in the domestic market.

When completed, the project would help to significantly facilitate the export of key agricultural items such as vegetables, flowers, and avocados, which are important export products for Ethiopia. According to H.E. Semereta Sewasew projections indicate that using these new facilities could lead to substantial cost reductions for exports, for instance, in comparison to current transportation methods like air freight for avocados. Furthermore, she added that these facilities are expected to make it easier to supply fruits and vegetables to the Addis Ababa market, contributing to market stabilization. The facilities are noted to include cold storage.

Ambassador Christine Pirenne acknowledged that having these facilities will help prevent agricultural produce from spoiling and being wasted, thereby reducing post-harvest loss. This reduction in loss is expected to encourage farmers and investors within the sector. Without adequate facilities, harvested products can be lost.

Visits to agricultural and flora farms, such as Ethio Veg Fru and Florensis, highlight the types of produce that stand to benefit from enhanced export and cold storage infrastructure.

The state minister acknowledged that there is still "a lot of work to do" in improving systems, customs, and revenue collection, recognizing these as key challenging points. However, the government views the current direction as the "right direction," citing progress in infrastructure and policies. Ethiopia is seen as having the "right ingredients" to move forward. There was delight in seeing the work on the ground and hearing encouraging stories from companies despite the existing challenges.

The joint visit underscored the ongoing challenges within Ethiopia's agricultural sector, particularly regarding security and revenue/customs processes, while also highlighting the significant potential, governmental efforts in building supportive institutions (NPPO, training institutes), and the positive impact of entities like Ethiopian Airlines and professional associations (EVA). The visit provided firsthand insight into the context where the joint 50 million USD agricultural investment project is being implemented, aimed at improving logistics, reducing waste, and boosting exports to leverage Ethiopia's agricultural strengths.