This washing station is owned by SNAP COFFEE exporters. The cultivars are Welisho and Kurume.

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.

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 5 hours.

Drying and handsorting 

Dried on raised beds for 9-11 days until they reach final moisture of 10.5%.

Processed in the Refisa Washing Station which is in the heart of Nensebo Woreda with a total of 588 farmers delivering red cherries from Refisa, Roricho, Bulga and Riripa.

Nensebo is a new coffee growing area in the West Arsi Zonal Administration which also borders the Bale Mountain on the South. Refisa is a village located within Nensebo Woreda. Coffees in the Nensebo Refisa lot are cultivated in Roricho, Bulga and Solena. Cultivated at an altitude of 2070 MASL. Each farmer brings their cherries to process at the washing station where they are picked and floated for defects, washed, soaked for 5 hrs, fermented for 72 hours and dried on raised beds for 9-11 days until they reach final moisture of 10.5%.

Located in Oromia, about 400 Km south of Addis Ababa, the Nensebo Woreda is home to a collection of smallholder farmers totaling 5,000 hectares of coffee. The average farm size in Nensebo is two hectares and producers cultivate a range of heirloom coffee varieties, including wild varietals originating from the neighboring forests.