Identifying workforce needs in Ethiopia’s horticulture sector for future MOBILISE expansion

As part of the ongoing efforts to explorethe potential for expanding the MOBILISE project, a feasibility study has beenconducted in Ethiopia. This study aims to assess the relevance and demand for asecond phase of the project, one that would not only involve internationalstudents but also actively engage employees working in the local horticulturesector.

On the weekend of 22 March up to 24 March,the MOBILISE team travelled to the southern part of the Sidama region in Sodo,where many horticulture companies are based. Together with project directorHuub Mudde, country coordinator Alemfrie Derese and research intern MaryamDiallo, the team travelled to visit horticulture companies. The feasibilitystudy included company visits, interviews, and assessments to assess theireligibility to participate in the project and to identify specific workforceneeds, skills gaps, and training opportunities. The first company visited wasVegbox PLC, a horticulture company specialised in the crops of fresh fruit andvegetables. Similarly, the second company was from a smaller farming group,called Mulualem, who also specialized in fruit and vegetable crops.

The team remained satisfied with the localpartnership of the companies for Hawassa University. More specifically, it wasquite insightful to see the farming conditions and talking about it to the farmmanagers. Various topics were mentioned and discussed, such as the company’scurrent challenges and opportunities. One challenge which stood out from theconversations was the issue of cold-rooms and containers. Many horticulturecompanies, like Vegbox PLC, struggle with the acquisition and storage of acold-room in their company. Hence, this may influence the quality of the cropsbeing exported or transported abroad or across the country. On the other side,the companies remained positive about the expansion of their lands andexpanding their products to the international market.

The next steps will guide the project teamin developing a new pilot program that also targets employees and recentgraduates. This initiative aims to expand participation and strengthen the linkbetween education and the horticulture industry.