False Banana to Get Real Following Ministry's Enset Investment Plan

Aug 2 , 2025. By YITBAREK GETACHEW ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )

Federal authorities in the agricultural sector are placing a strategic bet on an indigenous crop that has been overlooked mainly beyond its traditional highland roots. Enset, also known as “false banana,” has become the centrepiece of a 10-year initiative to revolutionise agriculture, boosting exports and anchoring national food security.

Unveiled by Advisor to State Minister for Agriculture Ali Mohamed (PhD), the National Enset Development Flagship Program (NEtDFP) envisions a radical transformation of the once-subsistence crop into a commercial powerhouse, generating 13.46 billion Br. If targets are met by 2033, Enset will feed 40 million Ethiopians, generate 4.9 billion dollars in export revenues, and create 1.2 million jobs.

"Using Enset is very labourious and prone to disease," Ali said. "Lack of policy attention, weak private sector involvement, limited processing, and poor market extension have all been major hurdles. The program is aimed at eliminating this."

According to agricultural experts, the ambition, while grounded in scientific and policy groundwork, is nothing short of audacious.

For researchers like Addisu Fekadu (PhD), an Enset Project Coordinator, the science is no longer in question. What matters now is uptake.

“It hasn’t been done before,” he said of the new processing model. “But if the rollout succeeds, Enset’s future may finally stretch beyond survival.”

Enset has long played a vital yet understated role in the southern highlands, sustaining over 20 million people during lean seasons. Known for its drought resistance and low input requirements, its resilience has been well documented. Yet, laborious post-harvest processing, requiring months of fermentation and intensive manual labour, shouldered mainly by women, has constrained its wider adoption.

That bottleneck is precisely what NEtDFP targets to dismantle.

Researchers at Arba Minch University, a crucial institution in bridging enset tradition with innovation, backed by the Sidama Agricultural Research Institute, have slashed the processing cycle from 90 days to seven. Communal machines powered by either electricity or diesel, enable cooperatives to mass-process Enset pseudostems into flour suitable for a growing list of products, including bread, biscuits, and cakes.

Vulnerability to pests and disease, post-harvest decay, cumbersome processing methods, a three-month fermentation period, and unpleasant storage.

"The flour is just like wheat, but it is Enset." Yalemwork Seifu Production Manager Lucy Enset

"In general, it's not an easy task," Addisu said, summarising the findings. His team has engineered electric and diesel-powered processing machines, reducing preparation time from three months to just seven days. The machines, priced between 100,000 and 200,000 Br, are not intended for individual households but rather for communal use, much like rural grain mills.

To address storage challenges, Arba Minch University developed special pottery containers that eliminate odour and preserve enset flour in a white and marketable form.

"We are not selling to individuals," said Addisu. "We expect people to organise and use it for entrepreneurship."

This model encourages mothers and youth to form cooperatives and access technology collectively, aligning with the program's goal of community empowerment through agricultural entrepreneurship. Addisu believes the latest innovations offer a turning point in enset's commercial journey.

"These advancements lead to high-quality products with less waste," he said, citing developments like enset-based bread, cakes, cookies, and white flour. Currently, more than 40 enterprises use the newly developed machinery and pottery systems designed at the university, widening market acceptance both locally and abroad.

"When have you seen market acceptance in Kenya?" Addisu told Fortune.

Specialised pottery developed for storage curbs odour and spoilage, addressing consumer aversion.

Start-ups like Lucy Enset are emerging to bridge the gap between tradition and commerce.

Yalemwork Seifu, production manager, described how Lucy Enset processes raw Enset into flour, which is then used for cakes, bread, and even nutritionally enhanced products.

"The flour is just like wheat, but it is Enset," Yalemwork told Fortune.

Their wheat-like flour, derived from genetically enhanced tissue-cultured Enset, sells for 300 Br a kilo and is blended with nutrient-rich additives such as moringa, catering to urban and health-conscious markets.

However, despite its promise, the leap from village fermentation pits to international supermarket shelves remains hindered by many constraints.

Enset Bacterial Wilt (EBW) poses a grave biological threat. The disease can decimate entire fields if left unmanaged.

Pathologists such as Hirut Tsegaye (PhD) from Hawassa University are working to promote resistant strains and advocate for improved sanitation and tool hygiene in farming communities.

"It can destroy 100pc of the product," she told Fortune, calling for intensified research and training. "If there is water, there's a high chance of disease transmission."

Farmers' lack of awareness during training campaigns often compounds the problem. Traditional farming tools remain widely used, further spreading disease. Although Sidama is home to approximately 60 resistant enset varieties, these are largely ignored by farmers who prioritise traits linked to bula and kocho production.

"Farmers should use the proper variety type for appropriate locations to reduce the risk," said Hirut.

Mechanisation’s rollout is vulnerable to inflation and currency volatility, with the cost of machines becoming prohibitive in several districts. Global supply-chain frictions compound the problem. Export markets, too, remain largely untested outside of East Africa.

Despite the government’s lofty projections of nearly five billion dollars in export revenues by 2033, up from a mere 3.6 million dollars last year, the commercial viability of Enset abroad remains uncertain.

Addisu, however, remains resolute.

“It’s shocking because it hasn’t been done before,” he said. “But, we’ve studied this matter thoroughly.”

According to the State Minister, NEtDFP is more than ramping up yield, from 12.3 million tons to 99 million, and doubling productivity to 120Kg per plant. It also seeks to spread cultivation beyond the humid highlands. Officials are eyeing parts of Amhara and Tigray regional states, such as Gojjam and Mekelle, where wild Enset relatives grow.

The idea is to leverage native biodiversity and develop site-appropriate varieties for mid-altitude agroecological zones, diversifying rural livelihoods and reducing overdependence on cereal imports.

Environmental benefits are also a central component of the initiative. Expanded Enset cultivation is projected to save over 62 million tons of topsoil and contribute to carbon sequestration. Import substitution is another key metric. Experts believe that replacing wheat and other cereals with domestic Enset flour could save 55 billion Br in foreign currency over a decade.

Recognising the historical fragmentation of agricultural development programs, NEtDFP includes governance mechanisms designed to ensure accountability. Public dashboards, regular audits, and a cross-sectoral technical committee promise transparency and efficiency.

Arba Minch University, the Sidama Agricultural Research Institute, and private players, such as Lucy Enset, are expected to coalesce under a unified strategy.

Whether this alignment holds remains to be seen. But early signs of synergy are emerging.

PUBLISHED ON Aug 02,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1318]