Ethiopia roped in 108.3 million U.S. dollars from the export of khat, a locally grown ’refreshment’ herb, during the past ten months, Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry officials announced on Monday.
Khat is mainly grown in eastern and southern Ethiopia and is widely believed to reactivate human memory.
However, a number of European countries and the USA government regarded this plant as a drug and banned from any use in their respective countries.
In Ethiopia and the neighboring countries, the plant is legal and is chewed anywhere.
According to the Ethiopian ministry of Trade and Industry, 22,390 tones of khat have been exported over the years mainly to neighboring countries.
“Though the amount of khat exported is less than that of the same period of last year, the foreign currency obtained from the export exceeds 5.5 million dollars,”the ministry added.
Khat ranks 7th among Ethiopia’s export commodities such as coffee, sesame, flower, and other agricultural products.
Source: African Press Agency