ADDIS ABABA- Sidama State has been working to export over 33, 000 tons of coffee during this Ethiopian fiscal year (FY).
Sidama State Agriculture Bureau Head Memiru Moke told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the state has been working to cover some 10, 000 hectares of land with coffee seedlings, and has been working to supply over 33, 000 tons of coffee product to central market during the reported period.
The state managed to export 31, 000 tons of coffee to foreign market during the last fiscal year. This year, it has planned to reach its export to over 33, 000 tons, he indicated.
There are some 388 coffee trading centers in which coffee producing is exercised forming many association and at individual level. Among these places, some 74 have gone operational. Some 142 have also finalized preparations to commence trading activity, he added.
Delay of loan has been a serious challenge for them not to operate at full capacity. Hence, efforts are being exerted to make operators fully operational via establishing a taskforce.
According to Memiru, the state has enabled to gain over 10 quintals of coffee product per hectare and it has been also tirelessly working on improving its productivity.
Furthermore, it has already prepared 3.5 million tons of compost to increase and improve productivity.
Currently, the state covers some 164 hectares of land, and it has planned to increase the yield to 174 hectares of land this fiscal year, he noted.
So far, the state has been working to cover 10 hectares of land with coffee seedlings or trees preparing over 30 million coffee seedlings, and would start planting the saplings in May 2024.
Hence, some 134, 000 coffee trees have started yielding coffee covering 164 hectares of land, he further elaborated.
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2023