A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

Each coffee producing woreda presents differences in coordination between its local
production and marketing actors but a three-poled organization seems recurrent: the villagers
themselves, the government extensions services and the local traders (Save the children UK,
2003). That means small-scale farmers, WARDO (Woreda Agriculture and Rural
Development Office) and akhrabies. This organization constitutes the main supply channel
the bulk of coffee production takes. However the one observing has to be careful into not
generalizing because, depending on the woreda, service cooperatives are more or less active.
And in Limu Kosa these ones are not so influencing coffee farmers’ activities. They are
generally not active but initiatives are leading a new drive. Ones of which are Limu Inara
Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Union goals through linking farmers within market
groups with export markets, and the Babo and Ambuye cooperatives which are members of
the dynamic Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. Except these two channels, state
farms and investors make up a third way they lead independently. Indeed, they own or rent all
production means, from pulperies to trucks, linking them directly to central and export
markets. They only collaborate with the WARDO for quality and administrative purposes.
The WARDO acts on coffee producers through model farmers who are innovation
vectors, the link between WARDO and other farmers; through farmer training centres (FTC)
and declining demonstration sites they oversee; and through their development agents (DA).
Each “three farmers’ associations” has one supervisor who oversees nine DA (three DA per
kebele). Development agents are divided into animal production, plant production and
resources conservation agents. The last two specialized agents act on coffee production, and
live in the production site. A direct influence is the sale to farmers of seeds or seedlings
grown in the six state nurseries of the district: in a state nursery, located eight km at south of
Genet, 142,700 seeds (38 kg) of highland (>1900 masl) 74-165 variety were planted in
April/May 2009. Once the seedlings reached a three-pairs-of-leaves stage between June and
August 2009, they will be picked and transplanted in coffee fields. Then farmers purchase it
0.16 birr per seedling, while seeds cost is 35 birr per kg (state nursery manager, 29 th June
2009).
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