According to a study conducted by the Agricultural Department of the Dutch Embassy in Addis Ababa (2021), the potential is significant, given the global demand for soft fruits and the favorable climatic conditions for growing crops such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Therefore, Zuqualla Horti PLC, FlevoPlant B.V., Resilience B.V., and Meteor Systems, with the support of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), have set up a first strawberry project in Addis Ababa to introduce modern cultivation techniques to African soft fruit growers.

The project is coordinated by Resilience, and a Dutch demonstration greenhouse has been built at Zuqualla Horti PLC in Koka, Ethiopia’s largest strawberry producer, with 20 hectares of strawberry fields and 8 hectares of propagation greenhouses. The demonstration greenhouse includes, among other things, a Mini-Air tunnel, a hanging growing system, and drip irrigation. FlevoPlant has introduced two new strawberry varieties grown on growing gutters, where drainage water is collected and reused, and the use of pesticides and fertilizers is minimized.

By sharing knowledge about advanced growing solutions, we aim to train more than 200 African growers to produce local soft fruit with minimal environmental impact and maximum yield. From September 16 to 18, Meteor Systems will be present at the first organized strawberry demo days in Koka, where we will demonstrate these cultivation techniques to local growers.