Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) has launched its IBM enabled national traceability system eATTS, The Daily Monitor reported.

The eATTs system launch event was held in Hawassa, SNNP Regional State of Ethiopia. ECX in its statement said the objectives, scope and functioning of the initiative was made public by ECX to representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, suppliers and exporters, development agencies and the private sector.

The new system will embrace more than five million smallholder farmers engaged in producing multiple commodities traded at the ECX.

The eATTS will start function by piloting with coffee. It is expected to boost exports of high-quality Ethiopian coffee worldwide and raise market access for specialty coffee from Ethiopia.

ECX owns and leads the traceability initiative. It contributed USD 1.4 million to the total cost of USD 4.5 million. The project came into existence in association with USAID, which contributed USD 1.8 million under its Agribusiness Market Development activity and Nestle, Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE), Mother Parker’s Coffee & Tea and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), who jointly contributed USD 1.3 million via the Sustainable Coffee Program.

It was indicated that the eATTs system will be implemented for this year’s coffee harvest and will soon be in place for other commodities also.

Source: The Daily Monitor