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About ATEP

Mission

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has established the market-led Ethiopia Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Activity to energize four industry sectors: horticulture; coffee; hides, skins and leather; and oilseeds.

Results

This activity will dramatically improve the competitiveness and productivity of thousands of farmers, processors and traders in the horticulture, coffee, hides/skins/leather, and oilseeds sectors, resulting in increases in exports, investment, employment, and incomes. Incremental results are reported regularly via program website and monthly news bulletins.

Implementing Consortium

The program, funded by USAID, is being implemented by the US agribusiness firm, Fintrac Inc., in conjunction with an array of partners including the Rainforest Alliance, Boot Consulting Company, the Economic Competitiveness Group, Manchester Trade, and numerous Ethiopian private and public sector organizations including the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA), the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters’ Association (ECEA), the Ethiopian Tanners Association (ETA), the Pulses, Oilseeds & Spices Processors Exporters Association, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD), and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI).

Technical Services

A team of agronomists, postharvest physiologists, processing technologists, logistics coordinators, and marketing and investment specialists, are available in-country and in-markets to provide participating Ethiopian entrepreneurs with support in the following market-led areas:

Fruits and Vegetables

  • Production assistance and training in improved technology and cultural practices including land preparation, growing programs, drip irrigation, hybrid seeds, seedling production, fertigation, integrated pest management, low-cost greenhouses
  • Postharvest handling, grading, packaging, refrigeration, high care, EUREPGAP and BRC certification
  • Processing including minimally processed vegetables (brine), juicing and purees, canning, individual quick freezing (IQF), HACCP and ISO certification
  • Air and sea freight logistics

Coffee

  • Farm-level assistance and training in improved production practices such as pruning, mulching, integrated pest management, harvesting techniques
  • Postharvest assistance in environmentally-friendly pulping/washing technology, improved drying, cupping and grading
  • Marketing directly to specialty designation buyers in the US, Europe and Asia

Hides/Skins/Leather

  • Assistance to livestock producers in improving skin/hide quality through routine ectoparasite treatment
  • Enhance collection and grading capacity to increase availability of raw materials to tanneries
  • Promote value-added processing to finished stage
  • Expand capacity for manufacture of finished product

Oilseeds

  • Production assistance to increase on-farm productivity
  • Improve farm-to-market linkages by enhancing price/quantity information, introduce grading system
  • Promote warehouse receipts

Market and Investment Support

The program also identifies opportunities and reports on entry guidelines for all target products traded into regional and overseas markets, as well as for selected clients:
  • Coordinate investment and trade missions
  • Develop and support commercial buyer linkages
  • Assist with initial contract negotiations
  • Provide support with business plans and related loan applications