ETHIOPIA ECHAMO EKTAR

Mustefa Abakeno, a smallholder farmer in Ethiopia's Djimma zone, owns two washing stations and has 18 hectares of coffee-growing land. He was instrumental in founding local cooperatives, Hundaoli PC and Katamuduga Union. While Mustefa’s coffee shows high quality before shipment, it tends to degrade after export. With the assistance of agronomist Harun, key improvements in pre- and post-harvest processes have been identified to enhance and retain coffee quality through export.

Harun oversees improvements at Mustefa’s washing stations, focusing on drying bed management, parchment storage, cherry selection, and sorting processes. Key changes include adding shade netting to ensure slower, more even drying and tagging lots to monitor moisture levels before storage, which protects coffee quality. Harun also regularly visits farmers to assess plant health and advises on good agronomic practices, such as selective pruning to further improve post-harvest quality.

Since implementing improvements in 2021, the quality of Mustefa’s coffee has noticeably increased for the 2022 season, showing greater flavor clarity and no early aging. Harun continues to support Mustefa with agronomy training, post-harvest processing, and traceability to maintain high quality, aiming to boost Mustefa's reputation and pricing. Mustefa expanded his network in 2022 to include 36 partner farmers across five locations, a number he maintained in 2023.