USAID Project To Stimulate $450 Million Increase In Agricultural Exports Over Three Years

September 19, 2006
No. 31/06

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- The Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today launched a $ 20 million, five-year Agribusiness and Trade program in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia.  Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARd), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), and the private sector, the Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program is a market-led effort designed to increase sales and incomes for thousands of Ethiopian farmers, processors and traders in four key sectors: horticulture, coffee, leather, and oilseeds /pulses. 

Mr. Glenn Anders stated that “the program projects a $450 million increase in export sales in the next three years”. It is implemented by Fintrac Inc., a leading U.S. agribusiness consulting firm, and a consortium of partners. To implement this ambitious program, Fintrac collaborates with:

The Economic Competitiveness Group (ECG) -- known world-wide for its successful formation of economic clusters in 28 countries around the world.  ECG recently commenced work on a cluster in the hides, leather and skins industry in Ethiopia.

Manchester Trade -- one of America’s leading trade promotion firms, Manchester recently assisted the Ethiopian delegation to attend the June 2006 AGOA Conference which included meetings at the White House, the State Department and with the U.S. private sector.

Boot Consulting -- this California-based firm is currently establishing coffee traceability systems and handling online auction sales that have resulted in the recent record-shattering prices for Ethiopian coffee exports – over $22.00 a kilo to the USA (source East Africa Fine Coffee Association newsletter of September 6, 2006)

Rainforest Alliance -- in the midst of establishing its first coffee certification program on the African continent here in Ethiopia.
Under the auspices of the USAID Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program, it is anticipated that horticultural exports will increase 700 percent, coffee exports by 59 percent, hides/skins/leather exports by 73 percent, and oilseeds and pulses by 45 percent.  For more information please contact the Agribusiness & Trade Expansion Program office below.

Contact Information
Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Activity
Ki-Ab Building, 4th Floor
Alexander Pushkin Street
[Opposite South African Embassy]
P.O. Box 70696

Kirkos Subcity, Kebele 23
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Phone: 251-11-3720060
Fax: 251-11-3720102
E-mail: atea@fintrac.com

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