Bombe Abore Sidamo Natural Gr. 1

Situated at an elevation of 1,920 to 2,020 meters above sea level, Abore Washing Station is named after a bridge dedicated to a local chief. Managed by Asefa Dukamo Korma of Daye Bensa Coffee, the station works with over 1,000 smallholder farmers, many of whom are from the nearby Bombe Village.  

Daye Bensa Coffee was established in 1996. Founded by brothers Assefa Dukamo and Mulugeta Dukamo in the Bensa area of Sidamo, the company has grown from a small family operation into one of Ethiopia’s leading coffee exporters. Today, the company works with coffee from its own farms as well as a large network of affiliated smallholder farmers delivering to their Washing Stations.  

Daye Bensa has built an extensive sourcing and processing network that includes dozens of washing stations, dry mills and thousands of farming partners. The company has become particularly well known for its focus on quality and traceability, earning repeated recognition in Ethiopia’s Cup of Excellence competition, including award-winning lots from Hamasho and Shantawene.  

Alongside coffee production, Daye Bensa invests in farmer support and long-term sustainability initiatives. The company provides technical training, seedlings and other services to affiliated producers, while also working to strengthen traceability and quality management systems across its supply chain. In recent years, Daye Bensa has expanded both its infrastructure and its farmer programs as part of a broader effort to build a more resilient and sustainable coffee sector in Ethiopia.

Many would say that the strength of Sidamo coffees lies in the region’s diversity of profiles. The many microclimates and varying soil types lead to striking differences from town to town. But across all Sidamo coffees is a profound complexity that many attribute to the diversity of local landrace varieties. Varieties can differ from town to town and even farm to farm, where each farmer may have more than one unique variety seldom or never found outside their plot. When all these different varieties are blended at the local cooperative, the resulting blend expresses the complexity of the plant genetics in the area.  

Farming methods in Sidamo remain largely traditional. Sidamo farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.  

In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also traditional and organic-by-default. Farmers in Sidamo typically use very few, if any, fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually and very few tasks are mechanized, even during processing. 

Farmers selectively handpick ripe cherries and deliver them to the station. At intake, employees visually inspect and accept only fully ripe cherries. Selected cherries are then evenly laid on raised beds to dry. During the drying stage, workers turn cherries regularly to ensure even drying. It typically takes up to 16 days for cherries to dry, depending on weather conditions.

The Sidama (sometimes referred to as Sidamo) region of Southern Ethiopia holds the distinction as one of the three trademarked coffee regions of Ethiopia. Alongside Harrar and Yirgacheffe, Sidama holds a Designation of Origin for coffee grown in the region. That's unsurprising when you consider the high altitudes of 1,550 to 2,200 meters above sea level, plentiful rainfall and fertile soil that makes the coffee grown in this region so remarkable. 

The Sidama region is named after the indigenous ethnic group, the Sidama, who call the region their home. On Sidama’s Eastern border lies the large regions of Arsi and Bale while to the West, Sidama is bordered by Gamogofa. 

Sidamo lies in the path of the Great Rift Valley and thanks to this, the countryside of Sidama is lush and green. There are several freshwater lakes that provide drinking and agricultural water and account for the densely populated nature of this region.

The Great Rift Valley spans from the northernmost tip of Ethiopia across Kenya and all the way to the southernmost region of Tanzania. It is home to some of the oldest-known fossils of humankind, which suggests its importance in the early development of humanity.

74112 is one of the varieties developed by Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC). This variety was selected from trees in the Metu-Bishari forest. It was selected for its resistance to coffee berry disease and its high yield potential. 

74110 is one of the varieties developed by Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC). This variety was selected from trees in the Metu-Bishari forest in the Illubabora region in Oromia. The variety is resistant to coffee berry disease and has a high overall yield. The trees are short and compact and display small leaves and cherry. The variety was released in 1979.