Ethiopia managed the export of 231k ton coffee during the last ten months earning over 1 billion USD to the country
May 4 - 2022
Coffee Geography Magazine
Ethiopian coffee earning surges by 113% for the last ten months by managing the export of 231k ton of coffee earning over a billion dollars to the country due to the new ECTA’s reform allowing foreign buyers to source for their favorite types in this diverse coffee country. Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority is engaged in transforming the coffee sector by building farmers capacity to involve in direct international trade with foreign coffee companies. Coffee beans from Ethiopia have quite unique characters that buyers mainly from Europe and the U.S find their preferable sources for their distinctive profile.
Without going through Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, international traders have now created a solid relationship with small coffee farmers as well as large cooperatives to secure long term supply for better quality. Income for coffee farmers has increased dramatically for the last three years since the ECTA began the transformation campaign to insure that farmers are well represented in the overall trade practices. The government has passed the bill 1051/2009 to practically implement a smooth and transparent international coffee trade not only to protect farmers but also create a free access for foreign buyers to easily source the highly acclaimed Ethiopian premium coffee directly from the farmers.
Adugna Debela, Executive Director of ECTA
A farmer from Gedeo in Southern Ethiopia, Welde Herbo said “His income from his coffee farm has increased for the last months due to the vertical integration setup up by ECTA.” Well experienced international buyers have been giving technical advice to the farmers for consistent quality supply. International coffee expo like the recently held in Boston gives the opportunity for large farmers’ cooperatives, Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union which participated by its director to exchange ideas to further develop the trade links with farmers across the country. During the previous government from 1990 – 2019, farmers were ill-treated due to lack of transparency with corrupt practices of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange. Since ECTA is restructured with new administration headed by Adugna Debela, the coffee agency has been able to formulate the system to keep the interest of the farmers as well as the foreign buyers who deserve the quality products from the source.