Review on Coffee Production and Marketing in Ethiopia

Abstract

Coffee, Ethiopia’s largest export crop is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy. However, Ethiopia has not yet fully exploited its position as the producer of some of the best coffees in the world. Hence, a little information has been gathered on different aspects of the coffee with the objectives of reviewing coffee production and marketing in Ethiopia, and marketing actors and margin distribution of coffee in Ethiopia. Data from FAOSTAT, CSA and different published materials on coffee were used. According to the review, lack of competitiveness, lack of infrastructure, in adequate access to services, low value addition, in adequate technology transfer and research, competition of khat and rainfall variability are among major constraints of coffee production in Ethiopia. Price volatility, Poor accesses to market, little market promotion and incentive mechanism, and low price were reported to be the major problem of coffee marketing in Ethiopia. Licensing of more traders and inspecting their activities, enhancing infrastructural and institutional facilities and improving of coffee production technologies through development, and extension of improved coffee varieties and other related agronomic practices were among the major recommendations forwarded from the review. Keywords : Coffee, Ethiopia, Production, Marketing DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/67-02 Publication date: April 30 th 2020