Foreign Flower Firms Flee Ethiopia as Amhara Conflict Intensifies

International flower companies are fleeing Ethiopia because of a worsening conflict in the northwestern Amhara region, a key flower-growing hub, dealing a blow to one of the country’s major exports…Ethiopia’s cut-flower industry, which generated more than $500 million in revenues last year, is the country’s second-biggest export after the top-earning $900 million coffee sector, according to central bank figures. It has made strong inroads into the global flower trade in recent years, securing a 5.5% stake of market share, while still behind Kenya’s roughly 16% stake…Many companies have reported hijackings of staff truck drivers for ransom…This is not the first time conflict has hit flower growers in the volatile Amhara region. In 2016, several flower farms belonging to multinational companies were razed to the ground by armed militias. Many also saw attacks on their employees. (Semafor)