2merkato

Coffee Plantation Development Enterprise (CPDE) is a coffee grower, processor and exporter in Ethiopia. CPDE also produce Maize and Honey in Ethiopia. It was established about 30 years ago as the first modern coffee plantation in Ethiopia. Currently CPDE is managed and administered Limmu Coffee Plantation (LCP) and has the head office in Addis Ababa to coordinated and facilitate the overall activities of the enterprise which includes marketing and procurements. Coffee plantation Development Enterprise (CPDE) is one of the state owned public enterprise under the umbrella of the Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA) and managed by the board of directors assigned by the agency.

Coffee Arabica (The Ethiopian Coffee)

Since time immemorial Arabica coffee has been growing in the wild forest of South Western lands of Keffa and Buno Bedele districts of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the primary center of origin and genetic diversity of Coffea Arabica. At present coffee is grown as forest, semi forest, garden as well as small and big planta- tions across the country in Ethiopia, coffee has become a valuable global commodity; a necessity for millions of people who wake up every morning waiting a great cup of coffee.

Limmu Coffee Plantation

Limmu Coffee Plantation (LCP) which managed by the enterprise is located at Oromiya Regional State mainly engaged in coffee production at six different farms: Gomma-I, Gomma- II, Kossa, Suntu, Gummer and Cheleleki farms which are dispersedly located across the area which is highly suitable for coffee cultivation and production. It also produces maize in Cheleleki farm. The total area of the plantation is 11182 nectars out' of which 7782 hectares of coffee farms accommodates about 15,147,038 bushes.
 
LIMMU       

Products: Coffee, Maize, Honey, Cereals
Location: 431 Km from Addis Ababa
Region: S.N.P.P and Oromiya
Area: 11,182 Hectare

History: Limmu coffee plantation produces a well known top quality coffee with spicy and winery flavors, fair body and acidity. Limmu coffee plantation is stretched over the highland areas at altitudes ranging from 1400m to 1900 m.a.s.l; which is the ideal Arabica Coffee growing ecology in the topic.

The Limmu coffee farms, which are known in producing coffees, which have spicy and winery flavor with good acidity and body, are stretched in the high land areas within an altitude ranging from 1440-1900 Meters above sea level. The ranges of temperature and annual rainfall of the farms lie between 14°C and 28°C and 1500-1900 mm respectively.

Regarding the soils, it is humus-rich, lightly acidic and well-drained.
Such ideal ecological and soils factors prevailing at LCP farms are highly favorable to produce coffee both in quantity and quality terms.

Production system

Generally the coffee farms are "shade grown coffee", that is, the plants are grown under the shades of trees and which has a positive impact or contribution for coffee quality. In

addition it has a long-term ecological benefits. These include: offering greater soil stability, provision of wildlife cover; especially for birds, protects coffee plants from extreme

weather conditions, lower evaporation rates and therefore greater water availability for coffee plants. Others are cool damp plants and use of less synthetic fertilizer.
Besides a number of technologies such as, high yielding and disease resistant varieties, improved crop management practices and processing methods have been employed to maintain coffee production and quality.

The production system is based on sustainability principles, with professional know how and skills for implementing Good Agricultural practices (GAP) where there is production
homogeneity and traceability with in genetic diversity and modernity. The enterprise in general and the farms in particular is guided by the principles of sustainable coffee production which includes:

• To produce quality coffee in sufficient quantity,
• To maintain and increase the long term fertility of the soils,
• To maintain and strengthen the shade trees under which the coffee trees are growing,
• To avoid all forms of pollution that may result from operations under practice, and
• To choose or develop, relatively the most efficient but economically sound operational methods so as to reduce the cost of production.

Workers

Since, manpower is one of the most important resource for any organization to achieve its mission and goal, CPDE posses' more than 4000 permanent employees having different professions. Besides there are more than 6,000 seasonal workers particularly involved in production and processing activities. Generally the enterprise is the livelihood for more than 30 thousands citizens in general and for employees and their family in particular. It provides basic, social and economic services for its employees and families.

Production capacity

The enterprise present annual capacity is at an average 5 thousand tons and in the near future its capacity would reach 7 to 9 thousand tons of green coffee beans.
Har vesting seasons There is one prolonged harvesting period starting with early crop harvest in August and reach its peak in October and November, and completed late December.
Green coffee processing method of the total annual production 70 to 80 % is washed coffee of the known quality standards Limmu grade 2, while the remaining are un-washed sun dried Limmu/Jimma grade3,4,and 5 coffees. Currently the enterprise is owned a total of 17 washed and 5 un-washed coffee processing stations and 5 artificial coffee driers across the farms.

Certified Coffee Production

Coffee Plantation Development Enterprise has been delivering coffee in accordance with buyers' interest, social and environmental frameworks. The enterprise is currently certified by UTZ Kapeh and CAFE practices standard and it is under way to acquire Rain Forest Alliance.
The enterprise is a pioneer organization that is mainly engaged in coffee production and marketing sector to generate significant amount of foreign currency for the country and the green bean has been marketed as either conventional or certified products.

Marketing

CPDE has been directly and/or indirectly sales coffee both at local and export marketing for about three decades and at present it has above 30 active customers. Although our customers are found in all parts of the globe: Europe, Far East Asia, Australia, North America and Canada: however, the main export market destinations countries of the enterprise are Germany, Japan Switzerland,France, and Italy.
To keep up with the demand from its clients, CPDE constantly improved its status in terms of quality, trust, creditability, confidence and communication.