Ethiopia is a poor African country with 135 million people and a persistent trade deficit. It is now creating jobs and shrinking its trade deficit by exporting offal to the Middle East.
A South African businessman explains:
Ethiopia’s increasing meat and by-products exports are significantly driven by its expanded offerings. The country now exports 21 different types of offal, such as liver, heart, kidney, and tongue…This diversification has created specialised market opportunities, particularly in the Middle East, where these offal products are highly valued as delicacies and are integral to traditional dishes. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continue to be Ethiopia’s primary markets, representing the majority of these sales.
For many African meat producers, exporting by-products has historically been an overlooked opportunity, with widespread discarding or underutilisation. Ethiopia, however, is now adopting strategies akin to leading meat exporters like Brazil and Australia. In these countries, by-products can account for as much as 25–30% of total export revenue….
Ethiopia holds a competitive edge in meat and by-product exports due to its close proximity to primary markets, mainly Gulf countries. This geographical advantage significantly reduces shipping times to under five days, ensuring fresher, higher-quality perishable products like chilled meat upon arrival, unlike longer transit periods from South America or Australia.
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