Bench Sheko

The main food crops in this Zone include maize, godere (taro root), and enset, while sorghum, teff, wheat and barley are cultivated to a significant extent.

Although cattle, shoats and poultry are produced in limited numbers, meat and milk are very much appreciated.

Cash crops include fruits (bananas, pineapples, oranges) and spices (e.g. coriander and ginger); honey is also an important local source of income.

The Central Statistical Agency (CSA) reported that 10,097 tons of coffee were produced in Bench Sheko in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority.

The seven largest ethnic groups reported in this Zone were the Bench (55.11%), the Me'en (21.36%), the Amhara (5.23%), the Kafficho (2.55%), the Dizi (5.17%), the Sheko (4.21%), and the Suri (3.88%); all other ethnic groups made up 5.49% of the population.