Ethiopia Poised to Capitalize on Moringa Crop for Nutrition and Foreign Currency, Says EPHI Researcher

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia’s potential to cultivate the moringa crop could significantly boost nutrition and earn foreign currency, according to Endale Amare, Senior Food and Nutrition Science Researcher at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). In an exclusive interview with ENA, Amare emphasized the nutritional benefits and economic potential of the moringa plant.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, EPHI has been collaborating with UNIDO and other partners since 2018 to research moringa and develop various food products derived from it. Moringa, known for its nutritional richness, including high levels of calcium, zinc, and iron, can be prepared as a vegetable or consumed in powder and liquid forms. Moringa tea is particularly popular globally.

Amare highlighted the nutrition deficiency in Ethiopian children and the role moringa could play in addressing this issue. EPHI has developed complementary food products by fortifying staple crops like maize, wheat, and rice with moringa. The researcher noted the global demand for moringa, rich in protein, as a supplement food ingredient.

One challenge identified by Amare is the perishability of moringa, making transportation difficult. However, he suggested that processing moringa into different forms could add value and reduce post-harvest losses. The expansion of agro-industrial parks in Ethiopia could further enhance the value-added production of moringa. Unlike countries like India, Ghana, and Kenya, which have commercial farming for moringa, Ethiopia has yet to establish such farms.