BENCH MAJI GESHA KARMACHI / ETHIOPIA

Gesha Karmach Coffee Farm

The Bench Maji region in southwestern Ethiopia has some of the most preserved wild forests in the country. The Gorigesha Forest in this region is said to be the birthplace of the Geisha variety and gained significant attention in the 2010s. Since then, coffee from the southwestern Bench Maji, which had not received much attention previously, has become known worldwide as a coffee producing area with wonderful flavors, thanks to its warm climate, rich natural environment, and ecosystems.
Tracon Trading, which exports Ethiopian specialty coffee and operates washing stations in various locations, also has washing stations in different coffee producing areas of Ethiopia, supporting coffee production activities. They were captivated by the beautiful natural environment of the Bench Maji region and established a washing station there. In 2017, they also established two of their own farms, Gera Farm and Gesha Karmach Farm, to advise local farmers and spread production techniques.

Gesha Karmach Farm is located 15km from the Gorigesha Forest at an altitude of 1800-1980m. The 150ha farm produces approximately 600 bags of coffee annually, and they are also approaching increased production by cultivating seedlings from the Gorigesha variety native to the Gesha forest and the Gesha 1931 variety. Fifty employees work at the management of this farm and the washing station, working with the belief that the coffee from this region will become a new option for high-quality Ethiopian coffee.

Meticulous Processing

Harvesting involves not only selective picking based on appropriate ripeness and color, but also re-selection after harvesting to ensure a more uniform ripeness. Afterwards, the cherries are transported to their Bench Maji washing station, where they are placed in water-filled tanks to remove lighter cherries, floaters, and impurities. Then, they are dried on African beds for approximately 21 days until they reach the ideal moisture content.
The African beds include not only typical sun-drying African beds but also shaded African beds with roofs. These are used in combination depending on the drying conditions and objectives, allowing for a slow adjustment of moisture content and a refined finish.

Tracon Trading Co.

Tracon Trading is one of Ethiopia's exporters. For Ethiopia, coffee is the most important agricultural product and a cash crop for earning foreign currency. Tracon Trading focuses on such coffee, exporting Ethiopian coffee to specialty coffee markets in Europe, America, Asia, and the Middle East. They also operate six washing stations within Ethiopia, with environmentally friendly washing stations in the Yirgacheffe and Limmu areas. They aim for sustainable and high-quality coffee production by improving quality and obtaining certifications.
Their vision is to provide the highest quality coffee, become a leading company in the Ethiopian coffee industry, and achieve international recognition.
In recent years, the Cup of Excellence has also been held in Ethiopia, and Tracon Trading has won awards, demonstrating their daily commitment to various challenges in high-quality specialty coffee.