Addis Ababa — Farmers in West Guji Zone, Oromia region are expanding the cultivation of higher-yielding coffee varieties, zone Administrator Adula Hirbaye said.

A delegation comprising officials from Oronia region visited coffee cultivation and maize developed in a cluster in Abaya Woreda of West Guji Zone.

After the visit, West Guji Zone Administrator Adula Hirbaye said coffee is the major cash crop of the Zone, cultivated in six out of its nine woredas.

He added that the farmers are replacing the previous coffee plants with the improved coffee varieties after the rigorous training provided to farmers.

These new coffee varieties mature for harvest within one year and eight months and have the capacity to yield 12 quintals per hectare, a significant increase compared to older varieties.

West Guji Zone contributes a substantial 28 percent of coffee supplies at the national level, according to the administrator.

Currently, farmers and semi-pastoralists in almost all districts are fully engaged in producing various crops and vegetables, significantly improving their livelihoods, he noted.

A report from Oromia Agriculture Bureau shows that it has been preparing some 2.6 billion coffee nurseries for this year alone as part of the region's major initiative on coffee production.

Additionally, the region has prepared 350,000 hectares of land for coffee plantations for this year.

With this, the region has set a target of obtaining 12 million quintals of coffee, it was indicated.

Oromia region is exerting a maximum effort to transform farmers at investor levels.