ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority disclosed that it has been carrying out various activities to get coffee trading technology oriented and contain illegal coffee trading.
Authority Director General Adugna Debela (PhD) told The Ethiopian Herald that his Authority has been taking a range of measures to make coffee trade technology oriented, free from bureaucratic red tape and illicit undertakings.
According to the Director General, the coffee sector has been encountering problems emanate from contrabands over the past many years though it is among the sectors contributing the highest GDP share of the country. Therefore, the new website would play a pivotal role in easing the export system via avoiding bureaucratic measures.
Since the Authority has been utilizing manual control system, coffee products have exposed to illicit trade, and the new software is crucial to protect quality product with profit maximization. The software which is cooperatively developed by the help of GIZ help provide the international market with quality coffee and producers with sustainable benefit.
The Authority has also closely working with Dilla University, Wolayeta Sodo University, and Mizan -Tepi University, Jimma University, and Jimma EU Agricultural Research to export world class coffee and obtain sustainable competitive advantage.
Besides, the authority worked for supporting Ethiopia to have new coffee brand during the past one year. In this regard, Ethiopia’s Coffee property right registered in national level, Europe, Japan, and North America to gain the Brand, he added.
Oromia Farmers Coffee Cooperative Union Deputy Manager Dejene Hereka on his part said that the new software will be playing an indispensable role in intensifying high quality coffee product export within the shortest time possible. It means that the software is able to avoid tiredness, hardness, and bureaucratic approach by using easiest communication channel.
Many coffee producers had been worried about the existence of long bureaucracy and massive illicit trade over the past many years, and it is the right time for coffee producers to have favorable conditions in due process of the entire coffee production, Dejene noted.
He further added that his union has been exported over 5,300 tones of coffee and generated over 26.6 million USD this fiscal year withstanding lack of adequate container and other related challenges.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
The Ethiopian Herald 26 August 2021
