2merkato

Coffee exports in Ethiopia were 50% below target in the past nine months of the financial year and are expected to decrease even further.

Ethiopia had anticipated raising 1.17 billion US dollars from the export of 288,000 tons of coffee. The failure to meet targets was due to the instability of the international market claimed Kebede Chane Minister of Trade. It is expected that coffee exports will reach 70% of target by the end of the fiscal year he said.

The country exported 98,000 tons of coffee in the first nine months which amounted to 48% of target exports raising 66% of the target revenue.

The international conference on oilseeds, pulses and spices held in Ethiopia boosted exports and increased revenue.

The conference held in March was attended by many international delegates and has resulted in enhanced market links with buyers and brokers according to experts in the sector.

The price of sesame which was 1350 birr a quintal before the conference increased to 1,550 just two weeks after the conference they noted.

The Coffee Plantation Development Enterprise of Ethiopia earned 209 million birr from the sale of coffee this fiscal year it reported.

The revenue was earned from the sale of more than 75,000 quintals of coffee that the enterprise supplied to domestic and international markets according to Fesseha Tekle Director General of the CPDE.

The most important international export destinations for the enterprise are Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and Russia he noted.

Elfora Agro Industry inaugurated a modern slaughterhouse for export services in Ethiopia. The facility was constructed at a cost of more than 15 million birr making the number of slaughterhouses owned by the company to six.

The new slaughterhouse is designed to prepare fresh meat on the bones for export purposes. It has the potential capacity to slaughter and store18 tons of goats and sheep daily. The facility will work for three days a week to provide a total of 54 tons of fresh meat a week, 216 tons a month and 2,400 tons per annum.

The waiting area of the slaughterhouse can accommodate 10,000 goats and sheep and 4,000 cattle.