ETHIOPIA SAKICHA ARTE

Shonora was established 30 years ago by Mr. Shonora Gata, with a wet coffee processing station in Sakicha and a farm near the town of Gerba. In the past three years, Gata’s two sons Adugna and Morkata have taken over the station, overseeing various changes and improvements such as expanding the station and updating machinery. The station now processes coffee cherries from up to 150 local growers, on farms that range in size from 0.5-8 hectares and are located at between 2,100 and 2,300masl.

The producers in this area have faced various challenges over recent years, with labour costs making the traditional way of harvesting more expensive, plus a lack of fixed cherry prices making forward-planning and transportation issues difficult. Shonora has addressed these problems through investing in improved transport infrastructure, as well as providing interest-free advance payments to the larger farms to help with harvest costs. Each year, Shonora rewards farmers who supply the best cherries to the station, creating an incentive to strengthen their relationships. The lots are named after the producers.