Introduction to the production and processing of coffee beans in Ethiopia

Production and processing of coffee beans

The geographical environment of Ethiopia is very suitable for coffee growth. Mocha coffee is mainly grown in the southern highlands between 1100 and 2300 meters above sea level. The main coffee producing areas are Harar, Limu, Djimma, Sidamo, Kaffa, Yergacheffe and Wellega. The soil in these areas is well drained, slightly acidic and red loose.

Ethiopian coffee is harvested once a year. The beautiful white coffee flowers bloom from March to April, and then the fruit begins to grow. From September to December, the red coffee fruit is ripe for picking. The new season of coffee begins to be exported from November to December.

Currently, about 25% of the Ethiopian population depends directly or indirectly on coffee production for a living. The majority of farmers use traditional planting methods. Artificial care of coffee trees, the use of organic fertilizers, do not use harmful pesticides and herbicides, etc. Therefore, most of the coffee produced in Ethiopia is organic coffee.

Due to different planting methods, coffee can be divided into three types: forest-semi-forest coffee (Forest or semi-forest coffee), courtyard coffee (Garden coffee) and plantation coffee (Plantation coffee). 60% of the coffee belongs to forest-semi-forest coffee. In such a wild coffee forest, pesticides are not used at all, but biological methods are used to control pests.

35% of the coffee is courtyard coffee. In this kind of coffee garden, the planting is three-dimensional. Coffee is located in the lower layer and gets a suitable growth environment in the shade of other crops. Fertilizers are mainly fallen leaves, withered grass and animal manure.

5% of the coffee belongs to plantation coffee. This is a modern way of growing. Coffee is also grown in a forest, but new varieties are used and planted in rows with other shade trees.

Due to different processing methods, coffee can be divided into washed coffee (Washed coffee) and sun-cured coffee (Sun-dried coffee).

Washed coffee accounts for 35% of exports. Good quality washed coffee is processed with freshly picked fully ripe fruit, picked carefully and closely monitored by professionals. The picked clean coffee beans are pulped on the day of picking, then fermented, washed, dried and peeled. The humidity of processed coffee beans is kept at about 12%.