ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A young and energetic man, Asnake Kasa is quality and marketing director at Kerchanshe Coffee, one of the largest producers and exporters of coffee in Ethiopia.
As Xinhua crew recently went to Kality on the outskirt of the capital Addis Ababa, workers were on duty in a very large factory which houses bags of different sizes for both processed and unprocessed coffee and also machines.
With the current capacity, Asnake said his company processes around 20 containers of coffee within a day, adding that Kerchanshe is currently eying to boost its coffee exports to emerging markets such as China.
The company processes and exports coffee of different grades and different origins, including Guji, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Limmu, Wollega, and Jimma.
Ethiopian coffees are recognized worldwide for their level of quality and flavor, which ranges from winy to fruity and chocolaty, making the country's coffees excellent single varietals or delicious players in blends.
For instance, Yirgacheffe coffee from southern part of Ethiopia, has floral, medium to firm acidity, full and round tactile sensation, sweet, gourmet flavor and aroma; while Limmu coffee, from western part, has sweet, spicy, winy flavor, delicate to lively acidity, round and rich in body and well balanced; and Jimma coffee western region, has high acidity and body, pleasant after taste.
Noting that different customers from different countries have different taste preferences, Asnake said his company differentiated the coffees based on their taste profile and responds to demands accordingly.
Although coffee is now grown in many countries around the world, Ethiopia remains one of the chief players in the global market, by exporting exceptionally flavorful gourmet coffees to the world.
Ethiopia is reported to be the largest coffee producer in Africa, with average annual exports of 200,000 tonnes over the last decade, mainly to Europe, East Asian and North America.
Despite this volume, approximately half of the country's coffee produce is consumed domestically.
Nearly 30 percent of the country's foreign income came from coffee and some 15 million people depend on some aspect of coffee production for their livelihoods.
Nearly half of Ethiopia's exports are destined for European markets, and a quarter for East Asian countries.
China imported around 4,000 tonnes of Ethiopian coffee last year, and its import of Ethiopian coffee shows an annual growth of around 16 percent, according to the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association.
Giza tWorku,the General Manager of the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association,told Xinhua that exporters are working hard to boost Ethiopian coffee export to China.
"China is emerging market for coffee and important business destination for Ethiopian coffee," Gizat has noted.
In addition to the traditional destinations, mainly Europe, the U.S. and some Middle East countries, Ethiopia is now focusing on the Chinese market for the export of its organic coffee, Tatek Girma, Director of Market Development and Promotion at the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority told Xinhua.
"Our export focus is China," he said.
The ever increasing market of China for Ethiopian coffee is a big opportunity for Ethiopia as a country, and also for Kerchanshe Coffee in particular, said Asnake Kasa.
"There is a huge potential of Chinese market. As a country, even as a company for us, we are looking a big, a big market around there," Asnake said.
