Achieving Food Security in Ethiopia by Promoting Productivity of Future World Food Tef: A Review

Abstract

Tef is an endemic tropical cereal crop of Ethiopia and it has been cultivated for thousands of years in Ethiopian high lands. The grains is a daily food staple for about 50 million inhabitants (60% of the total population) accounting for 14% of all calories consumed. Based on morphological, biochemical and biosystematics data and DNA sequencing, tef has been grown in Ethiopia since before recorded times. Tef has been introduced to different parts of the world through various institutions and individuals since 1866. The crop is highly adapted to diverse growing condition and its adaptability has resulted in its cultivation as an important crop in 10 of the 18 agroecological zones of the country. Tef grain does not contain gluten and is an increasingly important dietary component for individuals who suffer from gluten intolerance. The nutritive value of tef compares well with some of the major cereals such as wheat, barley, maize and sorghum, and in fact, it is better than some of these crops in mineral content specially zinc, copper, and manganese. Annual tef production has been increasing year after year on average by about 10%. Annual increased in productivity is believed to contribute about 6% of the 10% growth with 4% attributed to expansion in total area. It is the second most important cash crop after coffee and generating almost 500 million USD incomes per year for local farmers. Compared to other staples, the price of tef has increased at faster rate in recent years and hence the price gap between tef and other staples is widening. The volume of export has fluctuated and relatively a larger quantity was exported in 1995-97, 2001 and 2005 but export has declined since January 2006, mainly due to high domestic prices and government export ban on unprocessed tef grain. The benefits of keeping an export ban in place to favor Ethiopian consumers and protect smallholder farmers in certain respects are significant. Currently, tef research in Ethiopia has mostly focused on breeding and improvement of backward agronomic practices with little emphasis on the Mechanization and processing of the crop. There is a need to develop comprehensive strategy at country level for large scale production, adoption, adaption and maintenance of farm implements. An immense contribution is needed from researchers in production and adaptation of prototype models grainer to boost production and reduced quantity of seed rates. Putting in place mechanisms for tef seed standardization, packaging, labeling and distribution that are capable of meeting farmers’ demands would help to ensure a sustainable supply of high quality improved tef seeds. It is necessary to develop site specific recommendations for organic and inorganic fertilizers that are most suitable for tef production. Development of Mechanical harvesters and threshers offers potential to increase efficiency, minimize yield loss, time and cost saving. Increasing farmers’ access to price information increase transparency of the market and would enable farmers make better selling decisions and provide increased bargaining power to begin the value chain. Here, I present both the benefits and drawbacks of major tef production, the efforts being made to improve tef, and suggestions for some future directions.