Ethiopia Nensebo Refisa Washed

Refisa is a washing station located in West Arsi with 389 active farmer members that deliver cherries. This washing station is owned by SNAP Coffee Exporters. The cultivars are Welisho and Kurume.

Our partners

SNAP COFFEE was established in Addis Ababa in 2008, by coffee-passionate entrepreneur, Negusse D. Weldyes. The company runs three coffee washing and processing stations in Chelelektu, Kochere District of the Gedeo Zone and partnering washing stations in Uraga (Guji) and Nensebo (West Arsi). On average, about 550 farmers supply each washing station.

The company’s supply policy rests on three main pillars:

1. Process specialty coffee consistently;
2. Transfer the required know-how to the outgrowing farmers along with a great desire and training in processing and cleaning methods;
3. Protect the environment through waste recycling systems.

SNAP COFFEE is a business group engaged in other activities as well. They have an electronics assembly business and a software development company. They began their speciality coffee export business after the ECX reformed regulations to make it easier for companies to export coffee in 2017.The company currently exports about 78 containers per year. They employ around 253 employees, of which 13 are in their speciality coffee exporting business.

SNAP COFFEE’s relationship with Tropiq began quite recently. “We are quite at ease because of Tropiq’s efficiency in communication, and even more on logistics facilitation,” Abenezer, SNAP COFFEE Supply Chain Manager said.

He also reports that Tropiq’s regular and timely feedback on coffee lots have given SNAP COFFEE a lot of insight which helps them supply consistently great coffee.

• The farmers:

• Vegetation: Semi-forest
• Average lot size of farmers: 1-2 hectares
• Soil type: Rich and fertile red soil
• Number of trees per hectare: 1800-2400
• How much cherries per tree on average: 3 kgs
• Average selling price of farmers per kilo of cherries for 2019/2020 harvest year: $0.63/20 birr

• Post-Harvest Process

Natural

When coffees are processed as naturals, cherries are selectively hand-picked and put on drying tables immediately after.

Washed

Harvest and cherry selection

Cherries are collected manually and hand sorted later.

Pulping and pre-grading

The cherries are pulped by a traditional Agaarde Discpulper. Skin and fruit pulp are removed before the machine grades the parchment in water as 1st or 2nd quality, determined by density.

Fermentation

Wet fermentation for 72 hours

Washing and grading in channels

Coffees are washed in channels, and graded in water by density. The lower density (lower quality) will float and are removed, leaving only the denser and therefore higher quality beans which are separated as higher grade lots.

Soaked under clean water

After fermentation, soaking takes place for 2 hours

Drying and handsorting

Coffee is then piled up in layers which are 2cm in height and dried over a 10 day period then followed by hand sorting for 2-4 hours