A deteriorating political crisis in Ethiopia, Africa’s biggest coffee producer, hasn’t disrupted exports and growers expect another record year as foreign rivals struggle.
Ethiopia exported 86,000 tons of coffee during the three months through October, generating $327.9 million, 77% more than projected, according to the Ethiopia Tea and Coffee Authority.
The nation exported 250,000 tons during the marketing year that ended July 31, earning a record $910 million, according to authority figures. Ethiopian coffee exports are forecast to reach 280,000 tons in the current fiscal year and generate $1.1 billion.
Africa’s largest producer and consumer of arabica coffee beans has increased output steadily over the past three years. Last week, the central government declared a six-month state of emergency in a conflict that’s so far been confined to areas outside the main coffee-growing regions.
