Production and Marketing of Spices in Ethiopia

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject Business economics - Market research, Haramaya University, language: English, abstract: This paper is about the production and marketing of spices in Ethiopia.

The following objectives of the review are:

1. The major challenges and opportunities in spice production and marketing in Ethiopia for end users.

2. Identifying the major marketing channels of spices.

3. Discussing the factors affecting the growth and yield of spices.

The term spice refers to any dried plant product used primarily for seasoning, be it the seed, leaves, bark/peel, or flowers. Spices are essential oils that give foods and beverages flavor, aroma, and sometimes color. They can be marketed whole, ground to a powder or in the form of essential oils and oleoresins. Many spices are also used for other purposes. Plants such as turmeric/erid (Curcuma longa) are increasingly in demand for natural therapies, while others such as peppers (Capsicum spp.) serve as substitutes for chemical dyes or pesticides.

Another definition indicates: spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring, and sometimes as a preservative by killing or preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. Many of these substances are also used for other purposes such as medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, perfumery, appetite, or eating as vegetables. For example, turmeric is also used as a preservative; licorice as a medicine; garlic as a vegetable and nutmeg as a recreational drug.

Marketing is the process of bringing sellers and buyers together for the purpose of exchanging title to goods and services. According to Kotler, marketing is defined as a social and a managerial process whereby individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. The American Marketing Association representing marketing professionals in the US and Canada states that marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.