Melange Opens Coffee Processing Factory in Addis Ababa

ADDIS ABEBA – A new coffee roasting company opens its processing factory in Addis Abeba with the hope to expand its the value-added export market. 

Melange Coffee Roasters Plc wants to tap into the African coffee market with its processed coffee from the newly inaugurated factory.

“I am happy to contribute one thing to my country and carry out my duty,” Solomon Kassa, owner of the company, in an interview with The Daily Monitor.

The company has invested around 30 million Birr in the factory and bought the latest types of machinery with over 20 million Br investments from Turkey’s Toper manufacturing.

The factory has a capacity to roast, grind and pack around 7,500 Kilogram coffee per day. The entire processed coffee will be exported to the world market particularly African nations, said Solomon Kassa, who is also the director of operations of his company.

The company wants to double its capacity if the government allocates enough land for the company, according to Solomon.

Located around Megenagna in Addis Ababa, its officials say the new factory will create job opportunities for more than 40 Ethiopians.

“Investing in Ethiopia is very difficult and full of challenges,” said Solomon, whose original plan was to open the plant within two months. But it took “me two years to open the factory”, he added.

Investment Commission Promotion Director, Aschalew Tadesse said the factory is a role model to other investors and enhances the export sector by exporting value-added coffee products to the international market.

Ethiopia wants to increase the share of value-added coffee in its export for the international market.

In 2018, the country had a plan to generate $1.1 billion USD by exporting 300,000 tones of coffee.

However, due to the global slowdown of the coffee market,  it has been able to generate only $763 million USD by exporting 230,000 tones of coffee.

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By Mhret G/Kristos