Chile Hunts Tigraen Cactus

Chilean Food Safe SA is planning to grow cactus on 300,000ht of land in the Tigray Regional State. Having received the plot in the Raya Zone from the Regional Investment Bureau, the company is planning to export its products.

Located 619Km from Addis Abeba, Raya has 36,000ht of wild cactus while the Regional State has 120,000ht, according to a study that was done 15 years ago. The flower of the cactus is used in the making of diabetes medicines while seeds can be dried and ground to be used to make food colouring.

Locals have used the wild plant for fences, traditional foods, and recently for juices, but had been receiving no sort of earnings from it. Cacti sell for up to 15 dollars per kilo on the international market.

Peru Controls the international export market in this sector, earning an annual 40 million dollars from 50,000sqm of plantations and the export of seeds and flowers.

Chile has the largest production of cactus with 600,000ht. Food Safe, the largest Chilean producer, was invited here by the Tigray Regional Government, according to an official in the Regional Trade and Investment Bureau.

"We will invest about nine million birr over the next four years simply to plant on the plot that we have received," said Anthony Bustamante, general manager and partner of Food Safe. He added that the company is planning to install a semi-industrial processing plant to dry and grind the seeds as part of its investment.

"It would be pleasing to see the average person in this area, that is surrounded by the plant but has never benefited from it, to earn between two and a half to five dollars," said the Bureau official. "That is much more than what they are earning now."

The NGO, Swiss Association for International Cooperation, has played a major role in introducing the world to Ethiopia's cactus potential. It has convinced Schewabe, a German pharmaceuticals firm to buy the dried and ground flowers from local farmers in the region. The two organisations have jointly supplied machines to areas where the plants are dense to allow local farmers to dry and grind the flower.

This month Schewabe has made a 7.5 million Euro (92 million Br) purchase from the Regional State. As for the regional government, it is planning to give 100ht to each farmer so that they may be able to supply the German and Chilean firms, according to the bureau official.

"We will of course share our experiences and knowledge of the sector with the farmers in the area and buy the goods they produce," said Bustamante. "We are planning to enter the semi-industry sector as well so we are going to be in Tigray for a long time."