Flower Power

This coffee comes from Banko Chelchele village in Gedeb Woreda, Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The producing area is part of the wider Yirgacheffe coffee-growing region and is located within the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region of Ethiopia. The coffee is grown at an altitude of approximately 1,900 to 2,300 meters above sea level.

The producing community consists of smallholder farmers, with coffee forming an important part of local agricultural activity and household income. Farming in the area is closely connected with local knowledge, family traditions, and community-based harvesting practices. During the harvest season, coffee cherries are hand-picked with attention to ripeness and quality. The cherries are typically picked selectively, with an emphasis on ripe cherry selection before processing.

The harvest period runs from October to December. The varieties listed for this coffee are 74112 and 74110. The coffee is grown in red clay soil that is described as fertile, well-drained, and suitable for coffee production. Annual rainfall in the area is approximately 1,200 to 1,599 millimeters.

Processing for this coffee can include natural dry process, washed process, anaerobic process, and super natural process, depending on the specific lot. The natural process involves drying whole coffee cherries in the sun after harvest. Cherries are first selected and sorted to remove underripe, overripe, damaged, or defective fruit, along with debris. The cherries are then dried on raised beds or drying tables and turned regularly to support even drying. Natural drying can take around two to four weeks, depending on conditions. Once the cherries reach the required moisture level, they are stored in a dry and ventilated environment before hulling. During hulling, the dried fruit and outer layers are removed to reveal the green coffee beans.

The washed process uses ripe cherries that are depulped on the same day they are harvested. After depulping, fermentation takes place in clean tanks to remove the mucilage from the beans. The coffee is then washed thoroughly and dried on raised beds. This method is used to produce a cleaner and more controlled profile in comparison with whole-cherry drying.

The anaerobic process uses selected cherries placed inside sealed oxygen-free tanks. Fermentation takes place under controlled conditions for approximately five to ten days. After fermentation, the coffee is dried and prepared for further processing. The purpose of this method is to manage fermentation in a controlled environment before drying.

The super natural process involves an extended fermentation period of approximately 36 to 48 hours, followed by a longer drying period of around 27 to 30 days. This method is designed to slow the drying process and allow gradual chemical changes inside the coffee beans before milling and export preparation.

The Banko Chelchele processing site is organized to handle coffee-processing activities throughout the season. The site employs more than 210 workers who manage processing operations. The operation maintains a vertically integrated relationship with farmers in the Chelchele area, including financial support, subcontracting opportunities, and premium payments. The processing site focuses on receiving, sorting, drying, and preparing coffee cherries according to the processing method required for each lot.

After primary processing, final processing and cleaning are carried out at a subcontracted processing and warehouse facility in the Germent area of Addis Ababa. At the dry mill, the coffee is processed by category, density, and screen size. Additional sorting and cleaning are performed to remove unwanted debris, stones, and other foreign material. Once processed, the finished clean coffee is packed into jute bags and wrapped in Ecotact plastic bags.

Before export, reference samples are taken for evaluation and documentation. The dry mill also manages container filling and prepares the documentation and procedures required for export. Transport from the warehouse to the inland or Mojo dry port is carried out by trained and certified transport companies. Shipments are moved in monitored convoys, and drivers are qualified for this type of transport. Containers are then transported onward to Djibouti by rail for export.