Yirgacheffe coffee is highly regarded worldwide for its unique flavor. The coffee produced in the Gedeo zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (now Southern Ethiopia Region) is classified as the Yirgacheffe production area. While coffee production only began in earnest in the 1950s, making it a relatively new area in terms of coffee production culture, its distinctive and elegant flavor, reminiscent of black tea and jasmine, led to its separation from Sidamo (a coffee producing region) around 1980 due to its unique characteristics, and it has remained distinct ever since. People believe this special flavor is a gift from the fertile black soil and weather conditions suitable for coffee, and it is carefully cultivated in a natural environment overlooking the beautiful Lake Abaya, surrounded by rivers and forests.
Ethiopian Administrative Divisions
Region: Southern Ethiopia Region (formerly SNNPR), Sidama Region, Oromia Region, etc.
Zone: Gedeo, Guji, Sidama, etc.
Woreda (District/Town): In Gedeo Zone, this includes Yirgacheffe, Gedeb, Kochere, etc.
Kebere (Settlement): Konga, Idido, Hafusa, etc. (Originally a group of 200 farmers from the communist era, these names may not always correspond to strict administrative districts.)
*Yirgacheffe as a producing region refers to coffee produced throughout the Gedeo zone, while Yirgacheffe as an administrative district refers to one Woreda within the Gedeo zone.
WORKA
The Worka Cooperative was established in 2006 with capital contributed by 210 farmers. Located in the Gedeb Woreda, Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia Region, the Worka Cooperative is utilized by farmers from three settlements in the Gedeb Woreda. For this region, a major producer of Yirgacheffe coffee, the washing station is a crucial infrastructure that supports their livelihoods.
Until 2002, coffee was supplied through the ECX, but since 2006, it has become a cooperative under the YCFCU (Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union), and is now distributed as the Worka Cooperative. Currently, it has grown into a cooperative with 1117 affiliated farmers, producing high-quality coffee and exporting it to various countries around the world.
The harvest season at the Worka Cooperative runs from late October to January. At the washing station, the washed process is carried out using methods common in Ethiopia. Once harvested cherries are brought to the washing station, they are immersed in water tanks, and low-density cherries, branches, leaves, and other floating impurities are removed. Then, an eco-pulper is used for cherry ripeness sorting and pulp removal, followed by density sorting of parchment in water channels to produce wet parchment. The wet parchment then undergoes fermentation in water tanks for 2-3 days to break down the mucilage, which is then washed away. After soaking for about half a day, it is moved to the drying area. During drying, it is repeatedly agitated, and damaged parchment is removed until the appropriate moisture content is reached, which takes about two weeks.
