Atkilt Tera (Lafto Fruit and Vegetable Market Centre)

Atkilt Tera is the main fruit and vegetable market of Addis Ababa. The name means vegetable row. For many years it was an open market in Piassa. It is now in the Lafto Fruit and Vegetable Market Centre at Haile Garment, in Nifas Silk-Lafto in the south-west of the city.

History

In April 2020 the city moved the Piassa market to the fields of Jan Meda because of the coronavirus. The market stayed there for more than five months. The new market centre at Haile Garment opened in early January 2021. The old site in Piassa is closed.

What to expect

The centre is on 8,000 square metres. It has 980 shops in rows with wide lanes between them. It was built for 516 small vendors, 46 distributors and 24 farmers. Traders sell onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, fruit and other fresh food in bulk and in small amounts. Prices are lower than in neighbourhood shops, most of all for a sack or a crate.

Opening hours

In 2021 the market opened at 6:00 and closed at about 19:00. Go early in the morning, when the lorries unload.

Getting there

The market is at Haile Garment, on the ring road side. It has a large car park and guards.