ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) launched a five year project worth 15 million Euro financed by the European Union to boost Ethiopia’s coffee production, The Ethiopian Herald learnt.
European Union provided the finance as per of efforts to address constraints in coffee production and marketing and modernize all activities related to coffee producing, supplying, marketing, processing, and exporting. This was disclosed on a launching ceremony held here yesterday. The project will be source of livelihood for over five million smallholder farmer, it was revealed
Director General of ECTA, Dr. Adugna Debela briefed journalists that the main aim of this project is to improve coffee productivity and tackle the problems in marketing system. “The project will be implemented in 28 woredas of the three regional states Oromia, SNNPR and Amhara. “The woredas are known for their high coffee production.”
Rural Transformation Team Leader at European Union, Dominique Davoux, said that coffee is an important source of income to Ethiopia and essential part of EU trade. EU countries collectively import 42 percent of the total coffee export of Ethiopia, he said, adding that Europe is the main trading partners of Ethiopia.
“ The project is helpful to set a fair price tag for Ethiopian coffee at international market”, he stated. The project will be implemented by ECTA in association with regions coffee and tea authorities, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald, September 6/2019
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
