We continue to struggle with all stakeholders and service providers, much of the frustrations we are experiencing are a result of measures put in place to manage the pandemic that we are all living through.  So more delays this week in getting coffee processed, samples approved and the coffee shipped. Logistics which have always been a challenge this time of the year is currently nearly impossible to manage. However, we continue to make, albeit slow, progress on executing contracts. Business is slow with practically no inquiries as the focus seems to be on moving spots from roasters that have too much stock to roasters that have been seeing increased nearby demand.

Djibouti with a population of 1M people has recorded 1,000 cases of Covid-19; we are no experts, however it appears to be a high rate of infection. In Ethiopia the virus is spreading, however at what appears to be a slow rate of transmission.  

Business activity is also hampered by the erratic setting of minimum registration prices by the Coffee and Tea Authority, below table we give a snapshot of some of the most commercial common grades over the last 4 weeks:

We really struggle to understand these prices, the way that they are differentiated between grades and their evolution from week to week.

Meanwhile the volumes at ECX of Southern coffees both Washed and unwashed, continue to disappoint. Whereas Natural Djimmahs and Lekemptis are offered in good volume.

The birr is at 33.36 to the USD

by Charles Seara Cardoso

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