ADDIS ABABA– As coffee is the country’s economic backbone, Ethiopia is working hard to scale up and bump up quality coffee production, disclosed Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA).
Awigichew Teshome, vice General Director of the Authority told The Ethiopian Herald that by tending well the already available coffee plants and planting new ones, it is striving to increase coffee productivity.
We can say that the amount of coffee and its income will increase as the production is increasing, he said. As to him, to develop the product the government is working more with farmers and other stakeholders. This fiscal year the country is expecting to get more than 640,400 tons of coffee from about 853,900 hectare land covered by coffee plant.
To get the required volume and quality of coffee, it has been working on tending the plant the whole year with farmers. And the government gives training for farmers and experts in the sector. Follow up and support are always there to produce quality coffee, he added.
Awigichew stated, the other task the government is aiming at is rejuvenating the old coffee plant. It needs to change the old plants specially those which had become 20 years old. By taking on board more than 1.3million farmers, it has been replacing the old ones by the new specialties.
There is also a plan to expand the production coverage areas. About 280,900 hectares new areas of the country have been covered by the coffee plant. This will allow the country reaps harvest within two and three years, he pointed out. In Oromiya and Southern Nation and Nationality Peoples State, where coffee production is made a point of treatment is getting added attention.
In addition, Benshangulgumuz, Gambela, Amhara and Tigray states have started producing coffee beans. Every material is ready and farmers are participating in the production process. The states are also starting to enter into the foreign market beyond serving themselves, as to the vice general director.
He stressed that Stakeholders need to work together more to protect and expand coffee, on which the country’s economy leans on.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 8/2019
BY GENET FEKADE
