Ethiopia Beloya Natural

The Beloya washing station lies in the Kochere District; just north of Chelelektu, and 45km from Dilla, the administrative centre of the Gedeo Zone. The washing station itself has two processing units to ensure a timely washing and drying of the cherry, using water from the local river system. Smallholder farmers in the hills surrounding the washing station will bring their cherry here to be processed, cupped, and sold; the station itself has been around for over twenty years, but has recently been bought and expansion and improvement works are underway. Water pH is measured(7.8) and TDS taken. The 12 fermentation tanks and more than 136 raised beds allow for lot management to ensure traceability. This drive for quality is not limited to the washing station as the Dry mill too has laser colour sorters for detecting defects.

The coffee from here is grown at high altitudes in iron rich soils with a spread of genetic diversity provided by the heirloom varietals. The coffee farmers use traditional pest control methods that have been in use for many years, and so organic production is commonly found.

Cherries received at the washing station are hand sorted to separate the lighter, less dense cherries. Once selected, it is then transported to the raised beds and dried for approximately 21 days before a quick milling to remove the husks. Stored in the local warehouse facility until sold, the coffee is then taken to the dry mill in Addis Ababa for final processing, and export.