Guduba wet mill

The story

The Guduba wet mill was established in 2012 in the village of Benti Nenka, located within the Hambela Wamena district of the Guji region. It operates as a collection station for more than 525 smallholder farmers who typically cultivate coffee on plots ranging from one to two hectares. The mill is currently under the ownership and management of Eyasu Worasa.

Challenges

Smallholder farmers in the region face labor-intensive harvesting requirements and economic pressures that sometimes lead them to dry coffee cherries as a form of savings rather than selling them to washing stations.

Innovations

The station utilizes rigorous quality control measures, including floating cherries to ensure density and specific fermentation protocols for washed lots, such as wet-fermenting for 36 to 48 hours followed by drying on raised beds.