Coffee Brings Ethiopia Record $3 Billion in Export Earnings

Ethiopia has generated a record $3 billion from coffee exports during the 2025/26 fiscal year, reinforcing coffee’s position as the country’s largest foreign exchange earner and a key driver of export growth.

The milestone was announced by Agriculture Minister Addisu Arega during discussions on a new five-year national coffee development package aimed at strengthening production, improving productivity, and increasing Ethiopia’s competitiveness in global coffee markets.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, coffee accounted for more than 30 percent of Ethiopia’s total export earnings during the fiscal year ending July 7, highlighting the crop’s continued importance to the country’s economy.

The latest performance represents a notable increase from the previous 2024/25 fiscal year, when Ethiopia earned more than $2.65 billion from the export of approximately 470,000 metric tonnes of coffee, according to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA).

Officials said the government is now focusing on expanding productivity through a new national coffee development strategy that will be implemented over the next five years.

ECTA Director General Adugna Debela said the programme aims to raise average coffee productivity from the current 900 kilograms per hectare to 2,100 kilograms per hectare by 2031.

The authority projects that the productivity gains could double Ethiopia’s annual coffee export earnings to $6 billion, while strengthening the country’s position as one of the world’s leading producers of premium Arabica coffee.

The strategy is expected to focus on improving farm productivity, expanding access to improved coffee varieties, strengthening value chains, and enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Ethiopian coffee in international markets.

Coffee remains Ethiopia’s most important agricultural export, supporting the livelihoods of more than six million smallholder farmers across the country.

Recognized globally as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, Ethiopia exports a wide range of specialty coffee varieties prized for their distinctive flavor profiles, including fruity, floral, wine-like, and chocolate notes, helping maintain strong demand across international markets.

The record export earnings come as Ethiopia continues efforts to increase foreign exchange inflows by boosting agricultural exports and implementing broader economic reforms aimed at improving export performance.