In a such un healthy approach and unbalanced exchange which had made the Ethiopian farmers incessantly exposed to starvation and death, the work which undergoes with Dr. Eleni and the other board members, is encouraging and their painstaking effort will change the future of the Ethiopian farmers,and other traders will be beneficiary too. This is a very good begining which would enhance the creativity, confidence,ability and effectiveness of the public in general.

The involvement of the government in regards to regulating and monitoring the service is not bad at all. if willing to go too skeptical for every progress moving by deligent individuals like Dr.Eleni,our future will be way backward.

Enthusiasticly saying,it is a great job and move on.

There seems to be a disconnecting the intellectual élites. Ramming an exchange on a self substance farmers failed when the exchange abandon trading of the none existence surplus grain commodities. Short of closing down the exchange it is trying for cash crops. Already forced coffee sell by decree failed to build confidence on the exchange and sesame seed seems to follow the coffee fate.

What is left to trade? Exchanges requires transparency to develop trust. The reckless way the exchange was establishes would make this important institution useless for a long time to come. What a tragedy.

The only way to salvage the exchange is to hand it over for independent committee where farmers and traders can have a degree of trust on the system. But, that requires a political will and banning of politically motivated traders. Can that be possible? is the million dollar question.

As someone else pointed out, the huge drop in coffee exports from Ethiopia this year is because of the new trading system and not because of all the other excuses (hoarding, drought) that are being thrown out in public. If the coffee trading system at ECX isn’t corrected before the next season arrives (in a few months), we can expect another year of low exports from our top export crop.

http://www.addistunes.com/ranking.php?mode=blog&message_id=17&row_template=blogs.tpl

But one thing is clear, there have been very public blunders that must be recognized. And every time questions have been raised, ECE have been displaying unwise empty posturing (Check the recent embarrassing spat with reporter Melissa Allison for example, who reports on coffee for the Seattle Times). The CEO attempted what amounted to be an intimidation of a U.S. based reporter. But then, the journalist herself reported and blogged about it. Apparently, when you are in Ethiopia, it is easy to forget “the free world rule” that unless you are in mode of self-destruction (in this new media age), you do not court journalist by intimidation. The pen is more powerful than an army.

I watched the way you demonstrated. It was clear and easy to see the problem in our country. I think that was magnificent work. Eleni, you have done an outstanding work on behalf of Ethiopia as a good citizen and responsible person. Congratulations on your wonderful work. God help me to do my part.

God save Ethiopia.
Dessalegne

1. The Ethiopian Commodities Exchange IS NOT the first of its kind in Africa. There were at least five other attempts and all of them (except that of South Africa’s) can be considered failures. The verdict on Ethiopia’s case is yet to be seen (although the results so far are not that great, it is too new to call it a failure)

2. Fancy institutions are not always the answer to Africa’s problems. People need to really examine if such institutions deliver as advertised. The results should not be measured by what their promoters say but what the institutions are actually able to deliver on the ground.

3. Let us not always blame farmers and other actors. If a system needs educated actors and this is known before it is implemented to serve “uneducated” actors, then the problem is not with the actors but the implementers.

4. I wish Dr. Elleni and Ethiopia a success

R. Wilson

I cant wait to watch it. Dr Eleni, you are a good example to the new breed of scholars we need in Ethiopia: the kinds who will go through anything to leave a bold mark in the fight against poverty. I just wish you inspired more people like you inspired me because with many like you we can scratch poverty off our backs for good.

Thank you, Dr Eleni