ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The Japanese coffee buyer and roaster Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC) has expressed its willingness to promote and upgrade the quality of Ethiopian coffee.
Speaking at the 1st Coffee Quality Contest in Ethiopia organized in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy in Ethiopia today, UCC President Masaro Ueshima said the quality of Ethiopian coffee should be improved so as to help farmers increase their income.
The Japanese company plans to provide capacity building schemes, the president said, adding that it will also share experience, technology and expertise to the Ethiopian coffee producers.
Ueshima further expressed his belief that Ethiopia will be UCC’s best trading partner.
“It has been our dream to conduct a coffee quality contest here. (So) I am grateful to see our dream come true. We hope that our trade partnership will be upgraded much better than ever,’’ Ueshima stressed.
Director of Coffee Marketing Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Getahun Bikora, said on his part since Japan is the third importer of Ethiopian coffee the quality contest will pave a way for more demand of Ethiopian coffee in the Japanese market.
‘‘Our coffee is natural and organic. We have learned that the Japanese people love our coffee. The visit of UCC’s president to Ethiopia by itself will have great contribution to our cooperation,’’ he stated.
The director underlined that the quality contest would benefit Ethiopian farmers to upgrade the quality of their coffee which enables them to be competitive in the global market.
Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kazuhiro Suzuki said the contest would improve farmer’s lives by creating opportunities for technology transfer in areas of coffee production and manufacturing.
‘‘Such contests would also contribute to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries,’’ he said, adding that “Japan will continue supporting Ethiopia in technology sharing and human resource development. ’’
