The market in Bati is incredibly large, diverse and crowded, being the place where people from the lowlands and highlands of northern Ethiopia meet to exchange their crops, livestock and wares. Something like 20,000 people show up at the Monday market every week.
Grain is an extremely important commodity, including the all important teff for making injera. Farmers and sellers lay their grain out in bags and piles on plastic sheeting on the ground, and measure it out with tin cans.
The cattle and camel market is equally large, with pastoral herders from the lowlands, many of them Afar people, coming to sell their livestock to the highland people. The market takes place in one big corral, with buyers and sellers squeezed in amongst the animals.
Contact: Genene Gezu
Program Coordinator
Ethio-Organic Seed Action (EOSA)
Tel: +251 11 550 22 88
Mobile: +251 91 1 79 56 22
genenegezu@yahoo.com
shigenene@gmail.com
PO Box 5512
Addis Aababa, Ethiopia
