Suleman Denboba Natural Gr. 1

Suleman Denboba’s farm is situated high in the mountains in his village. On his 4 hectares, he produces solely Natural process coffee – about 70 bags each year. Suleman is among the new generation of coffee farmers in Ethiopia who turn to coffee production with an eye toward specialty production.

In 2019, he began focusing on specialty coffee production and processing his own cherry. Previously, he sold fresh or home-dried Natural cherry to mill owners. By processing his cherry on his farm, Suleman adds value to his product and increases the total income he makes from coffee farming. 

Suleman is a proud father and is active in his community. He is also in charge of his village administration

West Arsi may have recently risen to international acclaim as a superb coffee-producing region, but it’s been producing coffee as far back as anyone can remember. Previously, coffees produced in West Arsi were sold as Sidamo or Harrar. More recently, West Arsi was designated a unique coffee-growing origin by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange. Since then, it’s gained fame through international quality competitions, including the Ethiopian Cup of Excellence where, in 2020, coffees from West Arsi placed in 4 of the top 10 spots.

Suleman and his family selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and lay it to try on raised drying beds. He turns cherry every hour and covers it at midday and overnight, to prevent condensation. It takes approximately 16 days for cherry to dry. Once dry, Suleman bags coffee and stores it in a warehouse on the farm for two and half months before transporting it to the dry mill to be hulled and prepare for export.