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By Siyanne Mekonnen @Siyaanne
Addis Ababa, September 21, 2020 – Bench Maji Coffee Union said that some 20,000 coffee growers were benefiting from its activities, which included the installation of 17 coffee processing machines in each Kebele of the Bench Maji area in the Southern People’s and Nationalities Regional State (SNNPRS). The machines are equipped with seed drying fabric and the Union also provides vehicles for transport.
This was stated in a press held on September 17, 2020 that focused on the union’s annual performance, challenges, and short- and long-term goals.
According to the Union, Bench Maji as an administrative zone has more than 1000 containers (19200MT) or 19,200,000 kgs of annual production; and 95% of which is produced by small farmers. Union member farmers produce 500 packages (9600 MT) and the rest are produced by non-member farmers.
The union announced that it was holding a 7-day conference in the city of Mizan Tepi starting on September 19, 2020. This year’s conference is held under the theme “Multi-sector Production for Comprehensive Growth” and is organized by Mizan Tepi University. Its purpose is to share Union experiences with other coffee exporters and extend Bench Maji Coffee Union’s membership outside the Bench Maji Zone to the rest of Ethiopia.
According to the director of the Federal Cooperative Agency, Usman Surur, the contribution of Bench Maji Coffee Union to the modernization of the agricultural sector, rural industrialization and national unity is significant. He welcomed the union’s plan to expand its membership to larger areas because bringing farmers from various regions together results in economic integration leading to social and political integration. Usman further said that the Union was working towards an all-encompassing technology-based production that benefited marginalized groups such as women and youth. He emphasized the union’s dedication to empowering local farmers and their participation in the market, which has resulted in an improvement in their lives evident in the farmers’ capital.
Bench Maji Coffee Union is a farmers’ cooperative union with 95% members who are small farmers. The union was established 15 years ago with the main objective that its members fully benefit from its coffee products in both the national and international markets.
Bench Shako Zone administrator Fikre Aman said that “he can attest to the improvement in the lives of local farmers in the area and the tremendous growth of Bench Maji Coffee Union.” He explained that Bench Maji Zone is ranked the number one coffee producer on SNNPRS, so most of the residents’ lives depend on coffee production. It showed that with Bench Maji Coffee Unions, farmers are not only involved in the market but also in ensuring the quality of their products.
The union has helped farmers break with traditional coffee harvesting methods and introduced machinery to them. What was previously called raw forest coffee is now processed with machinery provided by the union and sold at a better price for its better quality. The Bench Maji area manager further emphasized the union’s contribution to the well-being of the community and the preservation of ecology by helping to build infrastructure. He also asked investors to explore investment options in the evergreen Bench Maji area, where the community is hospitable and has no peace and security issues at SNNPR.
“The growing membership from time to time demonstrates the advantages of the union,” said Bench Maji Coffee union chairman of the board of directors, Niguse Siyazi, who attended the press conference on behalf of the farmers. The number of members has gone from 6.5 million to 25 million in a period of 7 years, said the director of the Federal Cooperative Agency Usman Surur.
Bench Maji Coffee Union General Manager Getahun Tekle stated on the occasion that the union’s long-term goals include making the Union one of the top ten coffee exporting unions in the country. He explained that the union will diversify the product it exports and will venture into the export of spices and honey. The union is installing a honey processing machine, a coffee analysis laboratory and plans to build more warehouses for coffee and spices.
Getahun also said that between 2020 and 2025, the union will train farmers in management, finance and technology. It has already launched savings and credit services for farmers to further improve their financial capacity.
Members are not affected by fluctuations in the price of coffee as the Union operates within the statutes of international standards where traceability is ensured, according to Getahun. “So far, the rise and fall in the price of coffee has not affected us.” he said, “and the profit and loss will be shared with the farmers and the union because the farmers are also part of the market.” He explained that the union does not compensate in price drop incidents because member farmers set / negotiate the price themselves. HOW
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