Coffee Process
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CEO NOTES
The spread of organised coffee cultivation in Ethiopia - as related by lsrael Degefa.
Coffee spread to the highland areas of Sidamo where the trees are newer. In my home area, the trees can be 65-85 years old. Trees this mature no longer produce good, flavoursome coffee but farmers have been resistant to replanting due to the perceived interruption in their income. On a side note, in response to this issue Kerchanshe now runs a range of ...
Kercha Rare
Washing Stations
- No Stations
Branch Profile
Kercha Rare
Location - 470 km south of Addis Ababa Altitude - 1900-2200 meters above sea level
Kercha District is located in the West Guji Zone of the Oromia region. Situated 470 km south of Addis Ababa, Kercha is a self-sufficient agricultural zone and a major coffee-producing area known for its high altitude and mineral-rich soil. The district is surrounded by forest in the east and is bounded by SNNPR (Gedeb Woreda) in the north, Melka Soda in the south, Birbirsa Kojowa in the east, and Bule Hora in the west. The region's soil is a vertisol type rich in minerals, with a rainfall of 1600-1800mm annually.
Site decription
Kercha is labeled as a food self-sufficient agricultural zone and is one of Ethiopia's renowned coffee-producing areas. The Kerchanshe company takes its name from Kercha District due to its significance in coffee production.
Coffee Type
Kercha coffee is an indigenous arabica heirloom variety, typical of the Guji region. It has a medium body, medium to sharp acidity, and flavors that include blueberry, sweet lemon, papaya, and spice notes like cardamom, clove, and chocolate. It has a long aftertaste with hints of lemongrass.
Production
Kercha's coffee is grown in a complex agroforestry system by 1556 small-scale farmers in the kebeles of Gurachu, Banko Baya, and Banko Michicha. The flowering season is from March to April, with harvest from October to January.
Processing
Kerchanshe owns one wet mill and three dry mills across the district, with the main Gurachu site located along the Sharu river course. The mills, established in 2010, have a combined annual processing capacity of 5,000,000 kg of red cherries.
The Kercha Rare site has received organic certifications including EU Regulation, NOP Final Rule, and Organic Jas. Both natural and washed processing methods are employed.