Ethiopia’s agrifood sector is recording strong gains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with exporters of pulses and oilseeds benefiting from expanded market access and reduced trade barriers. The Ethiopian Pulses, Oilseeds and Spices Processors-Exporters Association (EPOSPEA) has highlighted that since AfCFTA’s implementation in September 2018 EFY, shipments of grains, oilseeds, coffee, meat, and vegetables have grown across key African markets including Kenya, Somalia, and South Africa.
EPOSPEA President Edao Abdi described the free trade area as opening “a vast marketing frontier” for Ethiopian producers. He emphasized that the gradual removal of tariffs and duties is enabling exporters to offer more competitive prices while maintaining quality standards, strengthening their position in regional supply chains. Ethiopia’s early participation, he noted, has aligned its agribusiness exporters with evolving continental trade dynamics, reducing fragmentation and cutting costs associated with cross-border transactions. This is particularly critical for commodities such as sesame and high-value pulses that require predictable logistics to preserve quality.
Exporters on the ground are already seeing tangible benefits. Trader Dagnachew Assefa explained that AfCFTA is expanding both the volume and income potential of Ethiopian exports by opening structured access to new buyers. He added that this is encouraging investment in production, storage, and processing facilities domestically, which in turn raises the consistency and quality of exports entering African markets.
The impact extends beyond Ethiopia. Iyasu Isaac of Nigeria’s National Sesame Seeds Association described AfCFTA as a “game-changer” for intra-African trade. He pointed to Ethiopia’s growing exports to Kenya as evidence of how improved market integration can strengthen regional supply chains for high-demand commodities such as sesame, pulses, and edible oils.
Isaac stressed that full utilization of Africa’s 1.4 billion-person market will generate substantial demand for agricultural goods, create new employment opportunities, and allow producers to capture more value within the continent rather than relying on distant export destinations.
AfCFTA’s tariff-cutting framework is thus not only boosting Ethiopia’s competitiveness but also reshaping agricultural trade flows across Africa, positioning the continent for greater self-reliance and stronger global market presence.