Ethiopia coffee exports hit record Sh388 billion on rising global demand

Ethiopia has recorded its highest-ever earnings from coffee exports, generating $3 billion (Sh388 billion) in the current fiscal year, authorities have reported. In a statement on X, Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minister Addisu Arega said the performance was the result of coordinated efforts across the coffee value chain. “It is accomplished. Ethiopia has successfully achieved its target of generating three billion dollars from coffee exports this budget year. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this historic achievement!” he said. The figure reinforces coffee’s role as the country’s most important agricultural export and a key source of foreign exchange. The sector accounts for about a third of Ethiopia’s total export earnings and supports millions of households involved in farming, processing and related supply chains. According to authorities, the growth reflects steady improvements in production, quality control and access to international markets. Export earnings have risen sharply over the past four years, increasing from $1.4 billion (Sh181.1 billion) in 2023 to $1.43 billion (Sh185 billion) in 2024, before climbing to $2.65 billion (Sh342.7 billion) in 2025 and reaching $3 billion this year. The gains, authorities say, have also been driven by ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening competitiveness across the sector, including increased investment in agro-processing, improved quality assurance systems and expanded traceability measures designed to meet growing demand in premium international markets. Alongside the measures, environmental programmes have also been integrated into the sector’s development strategy, with large-scale tree-planting initiatives combining indigenous species with coffee seedlings to restore degraded land and enhance the resilience of coffee-growing regions to climate pressures. Ethiopia has continued to consolidate its position in the global speciality coffee trade, where demand for high-quality and sustainably sourced beans has remained strong. The country’s export destinations remain broad, with shipments going to Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Belgium, China, Japan and South Korea. Ethiopia’s export diversification has also been reflected in rising trade with Russia. Coffee, alongside textiles and flowers, accounted for part of a $435 million (Sh56.3 billion) trade volume between Ethiopia and Russia in 2025. During the same period, coffee exports to Russia increased sharply, with earnings rising from about $46 million (Sh5.9 billion) in 2024 to an estimated $123 million (Sh15.9 billion) in 2025. Export volumes similarly more than doubled, from 8,300 tonnes to around 18,300 tonnes.