Interview: CIIE creates huge opportunity for Ethiopian coffee exporters

Israel Degfa, the CEO of Kerchanshe Trading Private Limited Company (PLC), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 14, 2021. Kerchanshe Trading Private Limited Company (PLC), the largest producer and exporter of coffee in Ethiopia, says the upcoming 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) will create a huge opportunity for coffee-producing and exporting companies. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kerchanshe Trading Private Limited Company (PLC), the largest producer and exporter of coffee in Ethiopia, says the upcoming 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) will create a huge opportunity for coffee-producing and exporting companies.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the CEO of Kerchanshe Trading PLC, Israel Degfa, said his company would be participating in the expo through its agent in China, thereby showcasing and promoting the quality and specialty coffee of the East African nation.

Israel said the Expo plays an important role in further promoting the ever-growing Chinese import of Ethiopian coffee.

"That platform (CIIE) is very helpful and it will create a relationship with the buyers, with the roasters; and it will educate the China community about the difference of coffee; all coffee is not coffee. Ethiopian coffee is different from other coffees," said the CEO.

"We expect a huge, huge connection from that expo. And we will definitely achieve a lot," he said.

Israel, who is from a coffee farmer's family insists that coffee quality and flavors are the results of dedicated scientific endeavors and processes. He said his company operates vigorously to ensure quality and comes up with ever improved coffee varieties to meet the expectation of international buyers.

Kerchanshe is producing and exporting different varieties of coffee by operating with 63 washing stations, 56,000 out-growers, and also 1,500 hectares of land dedicated to research and development of improved varieties of coffee.

According to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, China was among the top ten buyers of Ethiopian coffee in the months of July and August 2021.

Stating that China's import of Ethiopia's coffee is increasing dramatically, the Kerchanshe CEO said the country would be among the top five buyers of Ethiopian coffee in the next two to three years.

"It is a dramatic change. We started three or four years ago exporting to China. China was a tea marketplace, not a coffee marketplace, but now it is changing. The cultural shift is bringing a lot of opportunities for coffee-producing countries like us," he said.

"Ethiopian coffee is special and unique because it is picked by hand. Its process is by hand; everything is hand-crafted coffee...so, the reason why we always demand the price difference in Ethiopian coffee is because of the uniqueness of the process, the uniqueness of the production as well," he said.

The 4th China International Import Expo is scheduled from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai. The event provides a platform for companies from around the world to display their products, promote their brands, and find more business partners in the world's second-largest economy.