Exporting Coffee:
The trade of coffee is Ethiopia's largest export, which generates 60% of its total export earnings. The Ethiopian government must find ways to increase coffee production and make it a "safer" export product. Ethiopia and the ethiopian people rely on the trade of coffee.
In 1989, coffee accounted for 63% of the countries exports. Coffee, contributes (domestic) to about 20% of the governments revenue. About 25% of the entire population depends directly or indirectly on coffee for its livelihood. Some observers indicated that Ethiopia's annual production of coffee is between 140,000 and 180,000 tons annually. About 44% of the coffee produced in Ethiopia is exported to other countries.
Ethiopian Coffee Export represents some $412 million US dollars annually according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This is equal to near 176,000 tonnes of exported coffee to Europe and North America. There are over 100 coffee exporters and unions involved in the coffee export business.
Ethiopia exports 80-85 per cent natural or sun-dried coffee and 15-20 per cent wet-processed coffee. It is a precondition for all exporters that they process their coffee to the country's export standard.
Reference Materials:
SudanTribune - Ethiopia obtains over $400 mln from coffee export
Ethiopia: Coffee History, Production, Economy facts
