Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) traded 338,253tn of commodities worth 17.5 billion Br in the first half of this fiscal year. The amount exceeds the target set for the period by five percent and has shown a 28pc rise compared to the same period last year. Among the commodities ECX traded, coffee accounted for 45pc; sesame, 31pc; soya beans, 10pc; green mung beans, eight percent; and white beans, five percent. Green mung beans were recently added to the Exchange's trading platform. During the reporting period, two electronic trading centres in Hawassa and Humera transacted 25 million Br worth of coffee and 124 million Br worth of sesame. Over the past eleven and a half years, buyers have deposited a total 255.3 billion Br in the purchasing accounts of the Exchange, while 247.5 billion Br has been paid to buyers via the exchange. The ECX also works jointly with 17 banks in Ethiopia to facilitate its payment options.