Teff - Our most important staple food
.JPG) Ethiopia is known for the wealth of tef germplasm and the only country where the cereal crop is used as principal food crop. Tef ranks first among cereals in terms of area and production in the country (2 million hectars of land annualy). However, low productivity remains the major constraint where yields are as low as less than 1tonne per ha is common. The grain is ground into flour, fermented and ma de into enjera a sour-dough type flat bread. Teff is eaten as porridge or used as an ingredient of home-brewed alcoholic drinks. Teff is also grown for livestock forage. In Ethiopia teff straw from threshed grains are considered to be an excellent forage, superior to straws from other cereal species. Teff straw is also utilized to reinforce mud or plasters used in the construction of buildings. more.
The value of this commodity as a domestic commodity is obvious to every Ethiopian and anyone that knows our people and culture. However, teff also has a potential as an export crop.
Teff Publications in hard copeies and where to get them
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Narrowing the Rift: Tef research and development is a compilation of all the available information on the Ethiopian cereal tef (Eragrostis tef) to the year 2000. It is the only comprehensive information source about tef in all disciplines, containing 28 papers in five sections: general, genetics and breeding, crop management, utilization and technology transfer and experiences from other crops.
Copies of the book are with the Information and Documentation Unit of EARO in Addis, Ethiopia. Requests may be sent to EARO or to the Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center. EARO will provide copies upon request to institutions involved in research, education and development.
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