Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) is to compact the current ten levels of coffee quality grading to five levels to simplify coffee quality identification, Capital reported.

ECX is expected to endorse the draft for the establishment of new grading system in a week.

The Ethiopian coffee quality grading system is based on the combined result of raw (physical) and cup (liquor) taste values. ECX, Ethiopia’s representative for the American Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), adopted the coffee grading system from CQI’s standards.

Endris Negus, Market Surveillance Director of ECX told Capital the difficulties in distinguishing between different coffee types have rendered ten grading certification inaccurate. But the new grading system bids clear distinctions between different coffee types.

He also said “grade assignments sometimes provoked disputes. We also noticed that exporters often grade coffee in five levels. Our local grading system was therefore inconsistent with global market practices”.
Thus, the revised grading system expedites coffee exports, He added.

The revised grading system is expected to boost coffee export supplies, it was learnt.

Source: Capital