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Showing posts from September 10, 2015

Domestic consumption could perk up African coffee industry

By William Clarke Agrimoney September 9, 2015 Coffee consumption has the potential to boom in sub-Saharan Africa, triggering a revival in the stagnated local coffee industry, according to Ecobank. With sub-Saharan coffee consumption well behind other developing markets, even in Ethiopia where arabica originated, Ecobank sees the lack of a domestic market as a major problem for the industry. But the Togo-headquartered bank said that sub-Saharan coffee consumption was set to soar, as local chains proliferate and coffee giant Starbucks prepares to enter the region, offering an opportunities to "revitalise" the industry. High quality Sub-Saharan Africa produces around 12% of world coffee output, with Ethiopia, Uganda and the Ivory Coast accounting for three quarters of that production. And Ecobank noted that the region is notable for producing some very high quality beans, including high-value arabicas from Ethiopia and Kenya. But Ecobank saw a n...