Ethiopian coffee production is profoundly influenced by the country's three main seasons. The Bega season (October-January) is the long dry period, crucial for coffee harvesting and processing. The Belg season (February-May) brings the first rains, essential for coffee flowering and early fruit development. The Krempt season (June-September) sees heavy rainstorms from the east, crucial for the later stages of coffee fruit development and ripening. By the end of September, the rains cease abruptly, allowing the coffee fruits to ripen, leading to a bustling harvest period by November.
LALESA
This anaerobic lot comes from Lalesa, in Gedeb woreda, and is processed at an Ephtah-owned site. Ephtah purchased the land in July 2023, before building the warehouse and drying beds in September 2023. The site sits at approximately 2,150 to 2,200 metres above sea level and is the largest drying site in Gedeb. Coffee in the area is naturally grown under shade trees, mainly Ensete, also known as false banana. The lot is made up of local heirloom cultivars and is harvested between December and January.
The Lalesa site covers approximately 3.5 hectares and has around 400 drying beds. It employs seven permanent staff and around 130 seasonal workers during the harvest period. In addition to coffee, farmers in the area also produce Ensete, or false banana, which is an important staple crop in the region.
EPHTAH
Ephtah Specialty Coffee is dedicated to building sustainable and collaborative supply chains that benefit customers, farmers, and their communities. The company emphasises promoting the role of women in the coffee industry, recognising their pivotal role in driving social and economic change in Ethiopia. Ephtah ensures quality at every stage of the shipment process, focusing on providing the highest quality green coffee beans and maintaining satisfaction among all stakeholders in the supply chain.
At Lalesa, farmers receive an initial payment as soon as their coffee is received at the site. Ephtah also supports social initiatives in the area, including a daycare centre for farmers’ children in Gedeb. Some women farmers in the area are part of Ephtah’s Ama Commitment scheme, which supports the role of women in coffee production and producer communities.
COFFEE PROCESSING
For this anaerobic process, the coffee is fermented in plastic barrels for nine days. It is then dried for around 13 to 18 days before being stored in the site warehouse and moved to Addis Ababa when ready. The processing approach is chosen to maximise quality, with controlled fermentation, careful drying and stable storage supporting consistency and flavour development.
Once prepared, the coffee is transported to Addis Ababa, where it is stored at Moplaco in Gerji. It is then processed for export and moved by train to Djibouti before shipment.
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Ephtah Specialty Coffee is dedicated to social and environmental projects. The company provides initial payments to farmers upon receipt of their coffee and supports them with quality premiums, second payments, and assistance with school fees. Future investment plans include expanding the Ama Commitment scheme, building a water tank for flotation, increasing the number of drying beds, and cultivating additional crops on the land to support local markets.
CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PLANS
One of the main challenges for this crop cycle has been the high price of cherry, alongside tighter access to finance linked to the National Bank of Ethiopia’s credit cap policy. Despite these constraints, Ephtah continues to invest in quality, infrastructure and farmer support at Lalesa. Future plans include expanding the Ama Commitment scheme, building a water tank for flotation to support the removal of quakers, increasing the number of drying beds, and cultivating additional crops on Ephtah’s land for local people to grow and sell in the local market.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Ephtah site in Gedeb is the largest drying and washing site in the region, further underscoring the company's commitment to quality and capacity in coffee production.
- Permanent Employees: 20
- Seasonal Employees (during harvest): 250
- Drying Beds: 350
- Harvest Months: Late November - January
