Assessment of coffee production and marketing system in East Hararghe zone of Oromia region, Ethiopia

Abstract

K Kibret*, A Solomon, A Husein and T Abdulaziz

The study was conducted in coffee production potential districts of East Hararghe zone of Oromia region, with objectives to assess and describe coffee production and marketing systems, coffee market performance and identify coffee production and marketing constraints and opportunities in the study area, and three-stage sampling procedures were used to select a total of 164 sample coffee producers and 32 traders. Primary data were collected from the farmers and traders through household survey, and the collected data analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result of the survey indicates that on average, 0.26 hectares of land were allocated to coffee farm in the area. The result also indicated that the average productivity of coffee was 4.68 quintals per hectare, and about 97.52% of the farmers were growing local varieties in the study area. The survey result indicated that the main receivers of coffee from producers are primary cooperatives and assemblers/collectors and they take 40.6% and 30.5% from the producers, respectively. The most important constraints identified by coffee producers in the study area are coffee diseases, lack of access to improved coffee varieties and limited coffee extension services, lack of transparency in the coffee market and illegal traders hindering fair price were the main market constraints in the area. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are given as introducing high yielding and disease resistant improved coffee varieties, promoting improved coffee agronomic practices, supporting multiplication and distribution of coffee planting materials, Strengthening coffee research extension linkage, efforts should be need to aware and train coffee farmers and extension agents about coffee diseases management through practical training, enhancing extension services to improve farmers skill and knowledge on coffee production and marketing system, improving market information delivery to the farmers and traders, and improving transportation facilities and road infrastructures can increase the accessibility of producers and traders market coffee outlet in the area.