Nation earns 520 million USD from coffee export in five months

The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority disclosed that it has earned 520 million USD from the export of 140,000 tons of coffee in the first five months of this Ethiopian fiscal year.
Senior federal and regional officials have visited major coffee producing areas surrounding the market town of Dila and Yirgachefe Woredas of Gedeo Zone to monitor coffee development and production activities of farmers in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).
Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Director –General, Adugna Debela on the occasion said the country has earned 520 million USD from 140,000 tons of coffee export in the past five months.
“This is more than double in volume and earning compared to the same period last Ethiopian fiscal year,” Adugna said. “It is also the largest of our exports ever.”
The director general attributed the remarkable performance mainly to the ongoing activities to boost the development and production of quality coffee.
The invaluable policy reform conducted has decisively shortened coffee supply value chain, and significantly reduced produce wastage, he added.
Coffee producers who supplied quality coffee were made to gain better price as a reward and this helped well to get 70 percent of quality coffee supply which is competitive for the export market, he pointed out.
Moreover, the policy reform coupled with the efforts being carried out to expanding international market options have yielded notable results, he noted.
The authority has planned to export 280 million tons of quality coffee and earn over 1.2 billion USD this fiscal year, the director general stated.