Ethiopia’s coffee production is expected to flourish with highs of four folds in the coming harvest season as the rejuvenating initiative is said to reap benefits this season.
Previously, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) and coffee producing regions conducted massive campaigns for the past four years in order to replace aged coffee bushes whilst rejuvenating others besides expanding coffee farms.
Adugna Debele, Director General of ECTA and scientist on the coffee sector, recently told Capital that the previous years’ initiatives will reap results in the coming harvest season which will begin from the end of October.
He reminded that the major challenge for the Ethiopian coffee sector is production and productivity, “due to that the volume was not sufficient as per the demand.”
“The reason for less production is that our coffee bushes are very old,” Adugna explained.
He explained that in order to boost the trajectory and improve the productivity, the authority with relevant government bodies carried out aggressive movements in the past years.
“Because of the rejuvenation, coffee production has shown slight reduction in years when the initiation was undertaken, but it will give positive changes in the coming year,” the ECTA head said, adding that the production was up to 700,000 metric tons per year in the past few harvest seasons.
In the past four years, aged coffee bushes that covered 400,000 hectare of land have been rejuvenated, while coffee bushes that rejuvenated four years ago have started brewing fruit from the 2021/22 harvest season.
“In the coming year, there will be no bushes that withdraw the production, so in the upcoming harvest season we hope that the production shall shoot up three to four folds,” he elaborated.
He added that the authority is also strongly working to create conducive environment for the market, which is directly related with productivity.
In the past years, particularly in the two budget years, the coffee sector has shown massive improvement in export earnings and even registered yearly records.
In the budget year that ended July 7, the coffee sector surpassed a billion dollars in export revenue and attained USD 1.4 billion with increment of half a billion dollars when compared with the same period of 2020/21 budget year.
The success which was attained in the 2021/22 budget year was not only massive in revenue but also the volume that was exported was extraordinary compared with the history of coffee export.
Therefore, the country was able to ship 300,000 metric tons of coffee in the stated period.
In related developments, a 15-year coffee sector strategy which was developed by ECTA with the support of TechnoServe and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research has been launched.
The strategy targets to expand the country’s export earnings and improve the revenue of farmers that contribute over 85 percent of supply.
Since the reformation of the authority, ECTA has undertaken reform that uplifts the sector development via different instruments. It has also emplaced different proclamation, regulation and different directives that shall improve the farmers’ and the country revenue from the sector. The new strategy is stated as a crucial input to execute different laws in a coordinated manner.
Massive harvest forecasted for coffee
EIMA 2022: Cooperation between Ethiopia and Italy
Agriculture is the fundamental sector of the Ethiopian economy and innovative agricultural machinery can greatly increase the soil’s productivity. This was the theme of the press conference held on Monday July 11, at Hyatt Regency Hotel on the initiative of the Italian foreign trade agency ICE and the Italian federation of agricultural machinery manufacturers FederUnacoma.
The purpose of the meeting was to present EIMA International, the major exhibition of agricultural machinery organised by FederUnacoma, which will hold its 45th edition at the Bologna exhibition centre from November 9 to 13, 2022. The need for agricultural machinery in Ethiopia is vast, as the country’s crops are extensive and diversified. Agriculture accounts for almost half of Ethiopia’s GDP – as noted in the conference, whose speakers included Addis Ababa ICE Director Riccardo Zucconi, First Secretary of the Italian Embassy in Ethiopia Andrea Pascali, and FederUnacoma Deputy Director General Fabio Ricci – and employs 85% of the population. Renewing the agricultural sector – the conference said – means significantly increasing the profitability of production and the quality of life of Ethiopia’s rural communities. Every production, from cereals to oilseeds, to vegetables and fruit, requires specific machines, capable of preparing and carrying out sowing, fertilisation, treatments, irrigation and harvesting.
On show at EIMA are multiple models of machinery and equipment specifically for these crops, many of which are designed specifically to operate in climatic and environmental settings such as those in Ethiopia and certainly more suitable for the country’s small farms. At EIMA International there are about 50 thousand models on display, produced by the more than 1,500 manufacturers present, representing 50 countries. “The exhibition,” explained Fabio Ricci, “is addressed to an audience of professional operators, and is presented with a rigorous product subdivision that envisages 14 sectors of specialisation and 5 themed shows, respectively dedicated to components (EIMA Components), irrigation systems (Idrotech), bioenergy supply chains (Energy), advanced electronic and information technologies (Digital) and gardening and landscaping (Green). To guide visitors through the vast pavilions of the exhibition (120 thousand square metres of net exhibition space) and to promote business relations, the ICE Agency and FederUnacoma are organising targeted visits to the various sectors of the exhibition and “B2B” meetings between trade operators and manufacturers, while a rich programme of conventions and seminars will provide an in-depth look at technical issues, such as those relating to climate change and the management of water resources, which are increasingly necessary and precious.
EIMA International will therefore be attended by an official delegation of Ethiopian trade operators promoted by the ICE Agency and FederUnacoma, and will be attended by dealers, entrepreneurs and technicians in the agricultural sector. Events such as EIMA 2022 are an opportunity to strengthen cooperation relations between Ethiopia and Italy – said Riccardo Zucconi – in a sector such as agriculture that is becoming increasingly strategic in the African setting, to respond to demographic growth and to increase the autonomy of individual countries while also protecting them from geopolitical factors that can jeopardise food supplies. Every cooperation initiative between Ethiopia and Italy – underlined the Embassy representative Andrea Pascali – is set in a very favourable framework, given the excellent relations between the two countries, and the common sensitivity for a development model that aims to increase productivity and welfare, but with the utmost attention to the environment and natural resources that are a heritage to be protected and handed over to future generations.
Tsehay bank to make bright entry late July
Tsehay bank announces its joining the banking sector on July 23, making it the 21st financial entrant.
The bank has amassed almost 780 million birr in paid-up capital from a total of 3 billion birr in subscribed shares through 373 shareholders, having the smallest number of shareholders from other banks in the industry.
Headquartered at Meaza Desalegn building around Lancha, the bank is said to start its operation with 30 branches with 20 of the total located in Addis Ababa whilst the rest will be located at the various regional cities.
Tsehay bank initially held its first establishment general assembly at Sheraton hotel on February 18 2022 after it received permission from the Central Bank to begin selling shares in October 2020.
The bank sold shares at 1000 birr per value while the lowest share sold was at 100,000 birr whilst the highest a shareholder could buy was at 100 million birr.
The National Bank has also approved the appointment of Yared Mesef, who was nominated as the first president of the bank. The president has been serving as the vice president of Dashen Bank before being appointed as the president of Tsehay bank. At the same time, Taye Dibekulu, who was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of the Bank, also served as the Vice President and President of United Bank and is known to be one of the founders of Tsehay bank.
Tsehay bank was among around a dozen banks that were currently under formation in the country. Tshehay will be the third bank to join the market following Amhara and Ahadu bank.
Currently, the banking system in Ethiopia consists of around 1 state-owned development bank, 1 government-owned commercial bank, and 21 private banks. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia holds more than 60 percent of total bank deposits, bank loans, and foreign exchange.
The government plans to open up its banking industry to foreign competition as soon as parliament passes policies permitting it.
STICKS & STONES VS. SPEECH & STROKES
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names shall never hurt me” was a popular 20th century children’s saying to ward of verbal bullies. Imagine the number of mothers ready to wipe tears and heal the heart of a child experiencing bullying, name calling or even physical abuse. Not to mention this is typically done by a bigger more powerful peer. This saying is an excerpt from “Eothen” by William Alexander Kinglake in an 1844 account of his travels to the “East” – Syria, Palestine and Egypt. There isn’t much about historical context, but this is not about the book or the author. It’s about how we handle “bullies”, writing our own stories in the process, be you a baby boy or girl, a man or woman or nation.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones…”; is a fact and may even result in fatal injury, however, it is false that “names shall never hurt me”. African women have had to fight stereotypes and strategies to “keep them in place”. Verbal abuse, bullying, in form of colonial policies, laws and practices harmful to African women, ironically have young African sisters now embracing Euro-centric forms of feminism, but that’s another story. Youth within the Ethiopian artist community are questioning, NO confronting, these harmful stereotypes. “LAYERS” is a solo art exhibition by Michael Hailu Teferra at Atmosphere Gallery in Addis Abeba that explores this issue. Michael says, “Layers is a body of work through which I explore representations and narratives vis a vis invisible people who make indelible marks in the life of others. I use silver or gold paint for the background of some of my paintings. Silver is second to gold and I want the latter to honor the women I paint. Lets start with my mothers love and sacrifices to bring me up single handedly. I have a beautiful life… thanks to her. Layers is about the multiple histories carried by women. As a man, I have a given position that supposedly allows me to think about and treat women in a certain way, a position of power and superiority that I have come to question.”
Michael, an intense passionate and truth seeking artist; uses free heavy deliberate strokes of oil paint on canvas; seemingly in an effort to rid the stones and re-write the stories aimed at women, exemplified by his m(other). Determined he states, “I want to create my own myth, a golden age for my mother and all those invisible women who strive for a better world”. His artistic statement – in solidarity with women – informs, inspires and hopefully moves society to re-think the treatment and space in which women are relegated. Michael’s use of gold and silver amidst an array of colors expresses his gratitude and value for the ever-present female force. Ethiopia is invited by the son of Hailu, to take the journey of discovery and affirmation, unabashed.
Writing our own history is yet another way to respond to oppressive narratives, as words do hurt and cause severe harm for generations to come. The cooked history books perpetuating western hegemony, negatively impacting the African psyche systematically, is best confronted with our own words, speaking truth to power. Ethiopia had the unusual opportunity and history to evade the bullies on numerous occasions. In most cases, they were backed by or Western forces, but that’s another story. Attorney Artist Actionist Author, Kwasi Bonsu Esq. penned, Haile Selassie I’s Ethiopia, Volume One: The Rise of the Priestly Warrior Kings, deemed “…a fascinating exploration of the Ethiopian royal history anchored by the birth story of Ethiopia’s 225th ruler from the Solomonic line, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I.” The book is not your typical heavy pages of history. Instead, it is written in the voice of a storyteller, akin to Kwasi’s youth years listening to Rastafari Elders weave incredible stories of days of old in Jamaica and days of even older in Ethiopia. The book traces the glorious history of Ethiopia, documenting thousands of years, which some like to refer to as “myth”. His detailed research is impressive, though he admits the translation of Ge-Ez and Amharic were challenging, and things do get lost in translation.
The words penned in Kwasi’s griot voice, will help set the record straight in an easy to read format, with more to come. This publication is the first of seven volumes, exploring the Pan African perspective of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I’s world before and shortly after his birth in 1892. The artist/author refers to the Majesty in Volume 1, as “Baby Boy”. A bit strange at first, then it’s clear. “It outlines how his birth occurred in the midst of the European scramble for Africa, marking the end of an era… dawn of a new beginning. Transporting the reader through time … a front row seat to the events that shaped not only Ethiopia but the world-at-large.” As African artists combat sticks and stones through speech and strokes, it is certain that the future of Africa will realize the backing off of bullies and the re-establishment of a world envisioned by a spectrum of artists.
Dr. Desta Meghoo is a Jamaican born Creative Consultant, Curator and cultural promoter based in Ethiopia since 2005. She also serves as Liaison to the AU for the Ghana based, Diaspora African Forum.
