The Guji zone, having gone unnoticed probably because it is more remote than other nearby growing regions with renowned reputations, has captured the attention of coffee experts in recent years. All Guji has immense potential linked to a mild growing and processing climate likely influenced by the dense old growth forest covering the region. Exporter Details: With an expansive network of processing stations and expanding channels for exporters, there are increasing numbers of independent companies who are processing and exporting directly to importers. This lot comes from Tracon Coffee’s independent Shakiso washing station, named for its proximity to the nearby town of Shakiso. Tracon also manages other processing stations throughout the region and has its own dry mill, which allows for traceability all the way through to the final export stage. Earnings are used to fuel social impact in the communities where they source coffee. They have invested in more localized cherry collection sites to reduce the transportation cost for small producers. They are also responding to the local needs for investing in food security initiatives. Processing Details: A few hundred individual smallholders contribute to this Shakiso lot, each averaging about 3 hectares of coffee. Most of them also produce enset—a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is scraped and packed into cakes, fermented underground, and then toasted as kocho, a staple starch in the area. At Shakiso, Anaerobics typically ferments for several days. Once fermentation is complete (red cherry turns yellow), cherry is removed from the fermentation stainless steel tanks and transferred to raised drying beds, where it is continuously rotated for 10-15 days. After the coffee is fully dried, it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.
