US Donates $17.8m worth of wheat

Aug 31 , 2019


[ssba-buttons]

The United States Department of Agriculture announced that it is donating 17.8 million dollars worth of wheat to Techno Serve Ethiopia, a non profit organisation, on August 29, 2019. Technoserve will use funds generated from the sale of this wheat to support Ethiopia’s coffee sector by increasing productivity and expanding the coffee trade. TechnoServe is an international non-profit based in Washington, DC that promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world by linking people to information, capital and markets. Since 2009, TechnoServe has been working to address lack of coordination, information and access to markets, with a focus on supporting smallholder coffee farmers. Coffee is the most important foreign currency earner for Ethiopia. The United States was the fourth-largest buyer of Ethiopian coffee, accounting for nearly 11pc of total Ethiopian coffee exports by volume valued at 142.1 million dollars in 2017/18. Ethiopia has more than 400 coffee exporters, 395 coffee farmers who directly export coffee and over 30 import-export companies who export coffee and use the foreign currency to import other materials like vehicles and construction inputs.


Radar

Coffee Hub Illu Ababor Targets Bigger Share in Global Market

Illu Ababor Zone supplied more than 51,000 tons of coffee to the central market in the 2024/25 fiscal year, Deputy Administrator Mohammed Teha reported. The effort is part of the "Neqemte Initiative," designed to promote production, productivity, and quality in top foreign exchange earner. The zone spans over 700,000 hectares, including 300,000 hectares of newly planted and rehabilitated coffee and 400,000 hectares of wild varieties, cementing its role as a major coffee hub. Officials highlig...


Radar

From Loan to Tap, Ministry Secures Water Infrastructure Funds

The Ministry of Water & Energy has signed a cooperation framework with China Exim Bank, facilitated by contractor CGCOC, securing a 100 million dollars loan. State Minister for Drinking Water & Sanitation Ambassador Asfaw Dingamo (PhD) said the funding will finance water supply and sanitation infrastructure in five cities: Holeta in Oromia, Areka in the South, Inseno and Tora in Central Ethiopia, and Mizan Aman in the South...


Radar

Bureau Rolls Out QR-Enabled IDs for Inspectors

The Addis Abeba Revenues Bureau has equipped inspectors with QR (quick response) code-integrated ID cards to curb fraud and improve transparency. Launched in Mercato, the system lets merchants verify inspectors' identities via smartphone, deterring impersonation and extortion. Bureau head Biniyam Mikiru said the move strengthens technology-backed oversight and shields compliant taxpayers. Inspectors will also wear new uniforms to distinguish them from impostors. Merchants praised the reform, say...