ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia will host The Coffee Excellence Cup on March 2020 which is the first of its kind to be held in Africa, the Ethiopian coffee and tea authority has planned to start an excellence award.
The Coffee Excellence Cup aims to boost quality and volume of coffee export.
Shafi Umer, Director at Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority and Marketing Department Head told The Ethiopian Herald that after his Authority has been taken many activities then the country has gain a chance to host the event and signed Memorandum of Understanding with world cup of coffee excellence recently. A committee has been formed to facilitate the event.
‘’The Authority is working with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to build capacity through providing training for coffee producers and exporters.’’ Shafi said.
According to Shafi, the main purpose of the event is promoting domestic coffee and expanding online market which helps to break into world coffee market and enable to be competitive.
Currently, Ethiopian coffee is sourced from Jima, Hawassa, and Dire Dawa for the purpose of online market.
Since the market is conducted online, it assures that quality coffee is taking the lion’s share. This plays a significant role in motivating coffee growers to improve the quality of their coffee.
Asnake Kassa, Head of Quality and Marketing with Kerchanshie Coffee Export PLC on his part said that the event will help export quality coffee since the market needs high quality of coffee. Similarly destination countries are interested to buy the crops from products placed under the position of cup of coffee excellence countries.
Particularly, Ethiopia will benefit from the event through capacity building, experience sharing, and gain a chance to choose coffee market price.
He remembered that Ethiopia has not obtained the chance to host the event that the market needs special position and adequate infrastructure during the past many years.
This has hindered Ethiopia from obtaining adequate income from coffee crops as compared to its export volume.
On the other hand, his company is ready to share the experience on the coming event of cup of coffee excellence through providing special test coffee to promote different types of Ethiopian coffee crops and ensure nations benefit.
Various countries have been hosting similar annual events for the past many years and several destinations of coffee export are expected to attend the cup of coffee excellence event, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald July 2/2019
BY MESERET BEHAILU
