Ethiopia to roll out new coffee trading platform

Addis Ababa, May 26, 2021 (FBC) – Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority said that preparation has been finalized to launch the first “Micro Lot Coffee Trading Platform” which helps the country to supply world class coffee and enhance foreign currency earnings and benefit of the crop’s growers.

Briefing the media yesterday, Authority Director- General Dr. Adugna Debela stated that the main purpose of the platform is coming up with alternative coffee market. The new platform has mainly focused on products which have over 85 percent laboratory experimentation confirmed performance.

“Although Ethiopia is a major coffee producer and a country of origin, it is not possible to say that neither the producer nor the nation has benefited from the sector.” According to the director- general, the new platform would play a great role in promoting coffee quality, increasing competitiveness, ensuring farmers benefit, generating foreign currency, and attracting coffee buyers.

According to EPA, the platform would be applied during the second Coffee Excellence event in the coming few days. In this regard, USAID Feed the Future, coffee exporters Association, and other stakeholders are going to take part in all processes.

Ethiopian Commodity Exchange CEO, Wondemagegne Negera said on his part that the platform would play an essential role in increasing traceability, providing high standard coffee product, and generating hard currency to the country.

To Ethiopian Coffee Growers and Exporters President Dr. Hussein Ambo, it is equally important to ensure the benefit of coffee growers and provide them fair price for their products apart from availing them machinery and other equipment.