Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Production Vis-Avis Market Potential in Ethiopia: A Review

Due to its high protein (26%), carbohydrate (62%), mung bean is getting prominent attention globally. It is a rich source of nutrients and is considered a healthy food. The crop constitutes an important place in vegetarian diets. Globally, 5.3 million tons of mung bean is harvested from 7.3 million hectares of land. India and Myanmar are the major suppliers of this product to the global market each exporting 30%. The world’s average mung bean productivity is about 1.2 ton ha^-1. Being the homeland of several crops, Ethiopia ranks 13th in the world among the pulse crop-producing countries. Mung bean is ranked 6th with 42 thousand ha of land covered by the crop. Looking at the national average productivity of mung bean in Ethiopia is about 0.9 ton ha^-1. This is 20% lower than the world average productivity (1.2 ton ha^-1) which could be attributed to various factors that impact the growth, agronomic and yield performance of the crop on the smallholder farming scheme. Ethiopian agricultural production enhancement and export augment strategy delineates mung bean strategically important crop to the nation`s development in the sector. Mung bean is among the third agricultural export commodities following coffee and oilseeds playing a pronounced role in the economic development of the nation. Since 2014, mung bean has become the sixth export commodity in Ethiopia. Within 15 days of export trade, Ethiopia has earned 12.3 million USD. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review scientific facts on the production and marketing potentials of mung bean in Ethiopia.