The Privatization and Public Supervising Agency (PPESA) was scheduled to hand over the management of Tepi Coffee Plantation to Green Coffee Agro Industry Plc on 3 October 2011 after the latter bought 51 percent of the shares in the plantation.

Green Plc had paid 111.3 million, 25percent of the shares it bought, two months ago.  The 10,000 hectare plantation rests in two regional states, with 32 percent in the Gambella Regional State and the rest in Southern Nations Nationalities Regional State.

Tepi coffee plantation was one of the three plantations under Coffee Plantation Development Co along with Bebeka and Limu coffee plantations. Bebeka was fully sold to Horizon Plantation some time back.

The agency is planning to sell Limu this year, Fitsum Mesfin, deputy general director of the agency, said.

About 80 percent of the Tepi plantation is coffee with the remaining 20 percent covered by fruits, spices and palm. The plantation produces five quintals of coffee per.

Green Plc plans to raise this production capacity to 12 quintals according to Tadele Abreha general manager of the company.

Green Plc, which has raised its capital to 100 million birr, has a 2,000 hectare coffee plantation in Keffa, Oromia Regional State.

Source: Fortune