•Launches Nat’l Coffee Platform
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) expressed optimism towards achieving improved productivity, quality and revenue through integrating efforts of stakeholders engaged in Ethiopia’s coffee supply chain.
The authority has launched a national coffee platform yesterday aimed at maximizing public, private sectors and development partner’s combined efforts to produce quality coffee in a sustainable manner.
Opening the program, ECTA Director General, Adugna Debela (PhD) yesterday said that coordinated and transparent actions in line with the strategic initiatives of the Ethiopian government are required to increase quality coffee export sustainably.
According to Adugna, Ethiopia is implementing the European Union deforestation free regulation (EUDR) in its coffee supply chain. Currently, over 5 million smallholders are practicing in the producing coffee across the country.
“Above all, a strong international cooperation and engagement based on a dedicated strategic framework is required to facilitate the implementation of EUDR, to fulfill its objectives and ensure a just and inclusive transition towards deforestation-free and legal supply chains,” he added.
He further stated that the country has planned to secure 2 Billion USD coffee export revenues in this fiscal year alone. To realize this, quality coffee production should be prioritized by encouraging the active role of the stakeholders.
Finance State Minister Semereta Sewasew expressed that coffee is a strategic cash crop to Ethiopia contributing the lion’s share in export earnings.
As coffee is the cultural identity of the Ethiopian people, it requires combined efforts to enhance quality and traceability beyond increasing volume of production, she stressed.
UNDP’s Representative, Samuel Doe also believed that coffee in Ethiopia is a symbol of hospitality and cultural pride. Therefore, multi-sectoral approach would play a pivotal role in producing quality and maximum volume of coffee commodity thereby addressing the sector challenge with joined hands.
He added that the national coffee platform created a conducive environment in sharing knowledge among the stakeholders, which helps to realize Ethiopia’s ambition of improving quality coffee production and productivity in the years to come.
Doe promised that UNDP will provide the necessary support for Ethiopian coffee producers, traders, exporters, and the likes to enable the nation to its aspiration towards generating adequate foreign currency from quality coffee export.
It is to be recalled that Ethiopia secured 1.43 Billion USD exporting coffee last year.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2024
