LALESA (BH), ETHIOPIA

Ethiopian coffee production is profoundly influenced by the country's three main seasons. The Bega season (October-January) is the long dry period, crucial for coffee harvesting and processing. The Belg season (February-May) brings the first rains, essential for coffee flowering and early fruit development. The Krempt season (June-September) sees heavy rainstorms from the east, crucial for the later stages of coffee fruit development and ripening. By the end of September, the rains cease abruptly, allowing the coffee fruits to ripen, leading to a bustling harvest period by November.

 

LALESA

This anaerobic lot comes from Lalesa, in Gedeb woreda, and is processed at an Ephtah-owned site. Ephtah purchased the land in July 2023, before building the warehouse and drying beds in September 2023. The site sits at approximately 2,150 to 2,200 metres above sea level and is the largest drying site in Gedeb. Coffee in the area is naturally grown under shade trees, mainly Ensete, also known as false banana. The lot is made up of local heirloom cultivars and is harvested between December and January.

The Lalesa site covers approximately 3.5 hectares and has around 400 drying beds. It employs seven permanent staff and around 130 seasonal workers during the harvest period. In addition to coffee, farmers in the area also produce Ensete, or false banana, which is an important staple crop in the region.

 

EPHTAH

Ephtah Specialty Coffee is dedicated to building sustainable and collaborative supply chains that benefit customers, farmers, and their communities. The company emphasises promoting the role of women in the coffee industry, recognising their pivotal role in driving social and economic change in Ethiopia. Ephtah ensures quality at every stage of the shipment process, focusing on providing the highest quality green coffee beans and maintaining satisfaction among all stakeholders in the supply chain.

Ephtah Specialty Coffee works to build sustainable and collaborative supply chains across Ethiopia, with a focus on quality, long-term relationships and support for producer communities. At Lalesa, farmers receive full payment as soon as their coffee is received at the site. Ephtah also supports social initiatives in the area, including a daycare centre for farmers’ children near the site. Some women farmers in the area are part of Ephtah’s Ama Commitment scheme, which supports the role of women in coffee production and producer communities.

Ephtah Specialty Coffee is dedicated to social and environmental projects. The company provides initial payments to farmers upon receipt of their coffee and supports them with quality premiums, second payments, and assistance with school fees. Future investment plans include expanding the Ama Commitment scheme, building a water tank for flotation, increasing the number of drying beds, and cultivating additional crops on the land to support local markets.

 

COFFEE PROCESSING

This black honey lot comes from Lalesa, in Gedeb woreda, and is processed at an Ephtah-owned site. Ephtah purchased the land in July 2023, before building the warehouse and drying beds in September 2023. The site sits at approximately 2,150 to 2,200 metres above sea level and is the largest drying site in Gedeb. Coffee in the area is naturally grown under shade trees, mainly Ensete, also known as false banana. The lot is made up of local heirloom cultivars and is harvested between December and January.

For this black honey process, the best cherries are purchased from nearby farmers and first floated to remove lower-density cherries and quakers. The coffee is then placed on drying beds for one day, helping to increase the mucilage present on the beans before pulping. After pulping, the coffee is dried under shade for around 25 days. The processing approach is chosen to maximise quality, with careful cherry selection, controlled drying and close attention to the development of the lot during preparation.

Once dried, the coffee is transported to Addis Ababa, where it is stored at Moplaco in Gerji. It is then prepared for export and moved by train to Djibouti before shipment.

 

CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PLANS

One of the main challenges for this crop cycle has been the high price of cherry, alongside tighter access to finance linked to the National Bank of Ethiopia’s credit cap policy. Despite these constraints, Ephtah continues to invest in quality, infrastructure and farmer support at Lalesa. Future plans include expanding the Ama Commitment scheme, building a water tank for flotation to support the removal of quakers, increasing the number of drying beds, and cultivating additional crops on Ephtah’s land for local people to grow and sell in the local market.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Ephtah site in Gedeb is the largest drying and washing site in the region, further underscoring the company's commitment to quality and capacity in coffee production.

- Permanent Employees: 20

- Seasonal Employees (during harvest): 250

- Drying Beds: 350

- Harvest Months: Late November - January