Agricultural Development

This piece originally appeared on the IFPRI.org blog .

BY BART MINTEN, ALEMAYEHU SEYOUM TAFFESSE AND SMITA AGGARWAL

Not long ago, teff—the gluten-free, nutrient-rich, 3,000-year-old grain native to Ethiopia—had its media moment as the world began to recognize the nutritional potential of this poppy-sized staple. Teff was called the next “supergrain,” joining the select club of popular exotic grains such as quinoa, farro, and millet.

Parts of the Eastern Horn of Africa experienced above-average precipitation between March and May, followed by more heavy rainfall in the northern areas of the region during the start of the June-September wet season. This increased rainfall has led to severe flooding in several areas of the region, and FEWS Net forecasts flooding and heavy rains to continue into Decembe r. Sudan remains the hardest hit, with parts of northern Ethiopia and western South Sudan also impacted.

Teff plays a leading role in both the diets and the economy of Ethiopia. While the crop’s potential to expand into lucrative domestic and global export markets is large, however, little investment has been made to expand the crop’s productivity to take advantage of these opportunities. A new book from IFPRI, The Economics of Teff: Exploring Ethiopia’s Biggest Cash Crop , takes a look at the challenges faced by teff producers and how governments and private sector actors can work together to expand the crop’s role in global food markets.

As crop prices move throughout the year, they influence households’ consumption decisions, farmers’ production decisions, and traders’ marketing decisions. As such, it is important to understand price seasonality in local contexts in order to design appropriate policy interventions. A new working paper and policy note from IFPRI’s Nigeria Strategy Support Program look at such price movements in grain prices in Kebbi state, Nigeria.