Beloya

The Beloya washing station is located in the Kochere district of the Yirgacheffe region, north of Chelelektu, about 45 km from Dilla, the administrative center of the Gedeo zone. The washing station has two processing units, which, thanks to their large capacity, can promptly process the coffee cherries of small producers, even in the peak season. The station has been in operation for 25 years, but it recently came under new owners, who are expanding and constantly improving it. A smallholder cultivates an area of less than 1 hectare on average, with up to 1500 trees. The coffee cherries arriving at the station are sorted by hand and then placed on raised drying beds in thin layers. The cherries are turned every 2 to 3 hours in the first few days to avoid over-fermentation and mold growth. Depending on the weather conditions, 4 to 6 weeks later the beans are transported to Addis Ababa where the final hulling, sorting and export preparation takes place.