The Japanese UCC Ueshima Coffee Ltd. Company announced that it would organize a coffee quality contest in Ethiopia next March. At a press conference held Monday, Company Supply-Chain Management Department Director Tetsuya Seki said that the coffee contest will open up another opportunity for Ethiopian coffee to promote itself in the global arena.
The Director also said that the contest would provide an opportunity to participate in seminars for technology transfer in the cultivation and sorting process. Tetsuya said UCC will purchase winners with a premium of 10 – 30 per cent added on the regular prices.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Japan Markos Tekle said that in addition to its economic advantage for Ethiopian coffee producers, the contest will further cement the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It will also contribute to promote and further improve the quality of Ethiopian coffee at the international level.
The UCC Coffee is the largest company in Japan promoting coffee drinking culture in Japan for decades, he said. In this regard, the contest will add value for Ethiopian coffee.
Markos also said that despite the fact that Ethiopian coffee is one of the best in the world, absence of branding has its own impact from fully utilizing its return. In this regard, the contest will contribute its share to promote Ethiopian coffee.
Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kazuhiro Suzuki, said on his part that the contest will create opportunity in agro-processing industry and technology transfer in areas of coffee production and manufacturing.
Japan imports close to 3000 tons of coffee from Ethiopia every year.
[www.ethpress.gov.et]