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An international conference on coffee is to be held in Ethiopia according to the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association. The conference is to be held on the 8th and the 9th of November under the theme of: ‘Ethiopian Coffee Export Conference: Strengthening the Legacy of Our Coffee’.

It is expected that the conference will increase the status of Ethiopian coffee on the international market by promoting an exchange of information and sharing the vision for the sector according to Getachew Admas, Public Relations Officer with the association.

The conference also aims to discuss the opportunities and challenges that could potential encounter the coffee sector in the coming years as well as helping with meeting the goals for enhancing the export of coffee from Ethiopia in terms of volume, quality and foreign currency earning said Getachew.

Ethiopian exports have dropped by 7% in the first quarter of the fiscal year according to the Ministry Trade. The total revenue earned from exports in the first quarter of the financial year was just 699.1 million US dollars.

The revenue from exports decreased due to lower demand for coffee and oil seeds on the international market according to the ministry.

Coffee exports to the international market raised a revenue of 199.3 million US dollars in the first quarter which ended in Oct. 10. The revenue earned from coffee was lower than the 201.9 million US dollars  earned by the nation over the same period a year earlier said the MoT. 

An initiative to recognize and encourage female farmers and pastoralists in the bid for food security in Ethiopia is to recognize ten women under the theme of ‘Female Food Heroines.’

The organizer of the award Together for Food Security Initiative announced at the Jupiter Hotel by the organizer. The press conference held to announce the award had the aim of involving the media in raising proper awareness and recognition for female farmers and pastoralists contributing to the fight against poverty, hunger and unemployment explained the organizers at the time.

The award also intends to highlight the daunting challenges faced by women in the field of agriculture as symbolized by the achievements of the Food Heroines.

A new soyabean bio fertilizer technology introduced to farmers in Jimma improved productivity according to the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute.

Utilizing the new soybean bio fertilizer will not only improve productivity but it will also decrease fertilizer costs said Dr. Solomon Assefa, Director General of the Institute.

The agricultural institute is committed to the expansion of the technology across the country in partnership with different stakeholders he noted.

The 15th conference of the Cooperation of Urban Mobility in the Developing World was launched in Ethiopia this week.

The conference is being held under the theme of the ‘Role of Urban Mobility in (Re) Shaping Cities.’The conference comprises of a range of different activities including a photo exhibition according to sources.

The conference is intended to showcase the transport and urban development activities taking place in the country said Engineer Fekade Haile, General Manager of the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Dessalegn held a consultative meeting with domestic and international investors in Addis Ababa this week according to the Ministry of Industry. The PM met with investors engaged in the production of raw materials for the industrial and agricultural sectors it was noted.

The meeting is expected to help set the directions for investment and to enhance the performance of the sector by identifying the challenges and appreciating the achievements said Mekonnen Manyazewal Minister for Industry.

The talks are also intended to affirm the governments continued commitment to implement the goals of the national development plan and the recognition it has of the invaluable role that is placed by investors in the realization of this plan he added.

The Municipality of Addis Ababa revised the tariffs it had established for sewage disposal. The Addis Ababa City Water and Sewerage Authority has been offering this service for 69 birr levied on households for the past 15 years but has now increased the charge to 176 birr.

The increase in the tariff due to the current revision is an estimated 155% making the revision a considerable one according to sources.

The rate charged by private operators for the same service has gone up from 196 birr to 500 birr it was learned.

Ethiopia and Zambia are working on developing bilateral relations said Francis Simenda Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia.

The two nations are taking measures to enhance existing relations he explained speaking at an event organized in Addis Ababa to commemorate the 48th Anniversary of Zambian Independence.

Ethiopia and Zambia have agreement on diplomatic, economic and technical cooperation which were recently signed into effect said Simenda.

The Roads Authority of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia has begun to hand over 366 Sino trucks with the required spare parts worth an estimated 367.7 million birr to contractors leasing the vehicles for the Universal Road Access Program.

The Roads Authority placed the order for the trucks from CGCOC Hansom Bejing Trading Co. Ltd three months ago. The order was placed with the aim of helping contractors in need of heavy duty vehicles to move materials through hilly and stony terrain explained Chala Hordofa, General Manager of the ORA.

The contractors are expected to pay for the cost of the trucks over four years at which time the authority will transfer full ownership of the trucks to the private operators.

The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation is seeking an alternative financier for the construction of the Chemoga Yeda Hydropower Plant being constructed in the Amahara Regional State.

The power corporation is seeking alternative financing because the project is behind schedules due to financial constraints according to sources.

Initial projections established by the contract signed between the EEPCo and the Chinese Sinohydro Corporation that the project would cost 555 million US dollars to completion. The project was intended to be carried out in two stages generating a total of 278 MW when its complete.