BEBEKA COFFEE ESTATE

Bebeka coffee estate was established in 1972 E.C The farm employed 300 permanent and temporary employees at the beginning.

Bebeka Coffee estate is located in the SNNPR region Bench Sheko Zone. It is partially in Southern Bench woreda and partially in Gura fereda Woreda. It is 30KM away from the zone’s main city Mizan Teferi and 595KM away from Addis Ababa. The farm is found in 7°11”00” North latitude and 35°15”53”-35°15”66” East longitude.

The farm is sits at an altitude of 1,000 – 1,368m. It receives an average of 1,742mm of rain annually. The average maximum temperature is 27.5°C and the average minimum temperature is 16.4°C. The soil PH is found in between 5.0 to 6.0.

The main crop harvested at the farm is coffee however additional spice crops such as black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and hail are produced. In addition, the farm produces honey, rubber milk and clay bricks.

Currently the farm is 9,948.6 hectors of land. From the total amount of land 5,474.49 hectare is covered by coffee. 606.3 hectare is covered by a variety of spices. 112.15 hectare is covered by crops that are harvested annually while 1.56 hectare is covered by various fruits. And 6.93 hectare is covered with rubber trees.

The remaining 1,245.29 hectare is covered by dense vegetation and forestry. The total amount of land in hectares that cannot be utilized due to the stone, dry and sloped nature of its landscape is 1,967.29 hectares. And 533.13 hectares has been developed with infrastructure.

The farm currently (in 2023 G.C) has 8,509 employees. 2,016 of these are permanent while 6,458 employees are temporary. 35 are contractual employees. Bebeka coffee estate has 5 main farms and one irrigation farm under its umbrella.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE FARM

To produce washed and unwashed coffee to domestic and export markets.

MAIN PRODUCTS OF THE FARM

Coffee, Black pepper, Honey, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Rubber, Corn and Brick The farm uses scientific and modern technology enabling it to maintain the safety of its employees. In addition, the farm works in collaboration with various research companies enabling it to use quality seeds increasing the quality and quantity of the farms yield.

COFFEE PRODUCTION

Coffee has been produced since 1972 E.C in the Bebeka coffee estate. In regards to the quality of the production process, the farm has utilized the latest technology in the industry in order to increase the quantity and quality of its yield.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS IN REGARDS TO ITS RELIABILITY OF QUALITY AND QUANTITY

The time from preparation of the land up to the point where the coffee plant starts to produce coffee beans takes approximately 10 years. There are two ways for producing coffee; the first way harvesting red ripe coffee. The second way is harvesting overripe (Jenfel) coffee.

Harvesting Ripe Red Coffee: this is done once a year between Meskerem to Tahisas. During this period the beans on the coffee tree that are red and ripe are picked and pulped. They are then washed and dried in the sun or by a solar tunnel which is an artificial drier.

Then after its level of dryness is maintained, it is sent over to Addis Ababa to be stored and further processed at the Coffee preparation and Storage Warehouse. Then a variety of quality control checks are done; after that it goes through various processes before being distributed to the market where it reaches consumers. The quantity can be from thirty thousand quintals up to thirty-five thousand quintals.

Over Ripe (Jenfel) Coffee harvest: Jenfel coffee is basically over ripe coffee. There are three types of over ripe coffee. The first type is over ripe coffee on the tree, the reason for this can be that it may have been missed or forgotten during picking. The second is ground over ripe coffee; coffee that may have fallen from the tree during picking or dropped by pickers.

The third is picked coffee that is already over ripe at picking. After picking the over ripe coffee bean is placed in the hulling machine where it is hulled and given various levels depending on its quality.

The coffee is then sent to the coffee processing and storing warehouse in Addis Ababa where further quality control checks and preparations are done. The coffee is finally distributed throughout the market where it reaches consumers. The quantity produced is between 4,500 quintals up to 5,000 quintals.

HONEY PRODUCTION:

Honey is harvested 3 times per year. The honey collected goes through various filtering process until it reaches the main processing plant in Jimma soon after which it reaches consumers. 70 to 87 quintals of honey are produced annually.

BEBEKA CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COUNTRY

• Creating job opportunities for locals and generating foreign currency for the country.
• Where are our products sold?

 – Coffee: USA, Germany, England, France, South Korea, Japan

 – Spice and Honey: Japan, India, Saudi Arabia are the major consumers abroad; however, there is also domestic supply of coffee, spice and honey.

• 80% of coffee is exported to the international market generating foreign currency. However, a small amount of coffee and spice products are also sold to the domestic market in order to help the country retain foreign currency.
• The farm is doing a lot of activities to conserve the environment, for instance soil and water conservation, wildlife and forestry protection, reforestation and so on.
  

  “take the Ethiopian agriculture sector to the next level“