Teff is a grain that originated in East Africa. It is mainly produced and consumed in Ethiopia, where it is a staple food. Teff is very healthy as it contains eight essential amino acids, as well as iron, protein, and vitamins. As the grain is also gluten-free, it has been hailed a superfood and its global popularity has been rising quickly. The grain is no longer only grown in East Africa, but also in South Africa, Europe, the US, and India.
The teff export used to be banned in Ethiopia. Prior to the ban, the domestic price for teff was very high due to high global demand. As teff is a staple food for many Ethiopian households, the Ethiopian government banned the export to curb the prices. While Ethiopian teff exports were banned, countries such as South Africa and Kenya started exporting teff. For a long time, a significant portion of the teff exported from Kenya was obtained illegally from Ethiopia. However, currently, all Kenyan teff destined for export needs a certificate of origin from the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the teff is produced in Kenya only, according to Teff Lovers Ltd, an Israeli-Kenyan exporter.
The company is one of the first teff producers in Kenya with the certificate and is currently readying its production and processing facilities. The company works closely together with Maasai people from Kenya for planting and harvesting the teff. Teff generally has three production cycles per year that last three months each, depending on Kenya’s rainy seasons. Kenya’s high altitude and frequent rainy seasons ensure the production of high-quality teff. Since the grain only needs water in its early stages, the seed is sowed right after the rainy season ends, when the soil is still moist, and harvested during dry weather.
Teff Lovers Ltd currently produces around 1K tons per year, but its capacity is expected to double during 2020. The company’s main target markets are Israel, due to the large Ethiopian community, the US, and Japan. The price of teff ranges between 1,600 USD to 2,000 USD per ton and mainly depends on South Africa. South Africa is a large teff exporter and therefore a major price-setter on the market. In general, Kenyan teff is more expensive than its South African counterpart due to quality differences. The quality of Kenyan teff is on par with Ethiopian teff, where some of the highest-quality teff is produced.