Ethiopia exported 148,882 tons of coffee during the six months through January, generating $578 million, 20% more than projected, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing the Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority.

Germany was the major importer of the beans for the period followed by Saudi Arabia and Japan, according to the EBC. This comes after coffee export earnings from Africa’s biggest producer of the beans rose 6% year-on-year to a record in the financial year ended July 7.