Price range: 9,00 € through 65,00 €
High in the fertile area of Shantawene lies a community of smallholder coffee producers within Ethiopia’s Sidama region. Around 940 farmers in this area, cultivating coffee on small plots of land, deliver their cherries to be processed at the Buncho washing station, operated by our export partner, Daye Bensa.
In 1997, Asefa Dukamo built a washing station in the village of Girja, less than a mile from his parents’ home. The following year, another washing station was established in Eltama, located 30 km from Girja. Later, Dukamo moved to the town of Daye, in the Bensa district, where he established the main washing station known as Qonqana. Over time, a dry mill was added to provide facilities dedicated to processing natural coffees.
Asefa’s younger brother, Mulugeta Dukamo, is co-founder of Daye Bensa Coffee Exporters and played a key role in expanding the washing stations. Today, Daye Bensa operates across six woredas: Bensa, Bura, Chabe, Hoko (Girja), Aroressa, and Chire, managing 20 washing stations, five dry mills, and three coffee farms.
The processing journey begins with the selective handpicking of the ripest cherries. Once harvested, the cherries are delivered to the washing station, where they are sorted according to density and quality. This process involves immersing the cherries in water tanks and removing any floaters before drying.
After sorting, the cherries are depulped using an eco-friendly Panagos machine and transferred to fermentation tanks for 24 hours. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee moves through washing channels, where wooden tools are used to remove the remaining mucilage.
After the washing process is completed, the coffee is transferred to traditional African raised beds with mesh screens. The coffee remains there for approximately 12 to 15 days, depending on temperature and humidity, and is turned every 30 minutes. Once fully dried, producers typically transport the coffee — usually by horse or motorcycle — between 2 and 5 km to the dry mill. At the mill, the coffee is hulled using specialized machinery.
Price range: 7,95 € through 50,00 €
Price range: 9,50 € through 69,00 €
Peach, dark chocolate, and lemon.
