Yukro co-operative was originally formed in 1977, in the village of Wanja Qarsa, in the Gera District of Jimma. Today, they are part of the Keta Meduga Union, an umbrella for some of West-Ethiopia’s best performing co-operatives in terms quality coffee (such as Biftu Gudina and Duromina).
We bought this coffee back when it was only available as a natural, and have been a fan of Yukro co-operative ever since. Since Technoserve’s implementation of their own central washing station, we have delightfully been offering it as a washed: crisp, clean, citric, floral, reminiscent of Yirgacheffe.
This coffee is produced in a semi-forest farming system on smallholder farms ranging between 1 and 20 hectares. The plants do well in their naturally cultivated conditions, surrounded by evergreen jungle forests. The cherries are immediately processed after collection; using the eco-friendly Penagos 1500. The mucilage is mechanically removed after it is fermented for 12 hours. Early in the morning, the coffee is placed upon drying shaded beds for 3-4 hours to initiate the drying process. Finally, It is dried for 6-7 days on elevated African drying beds, on which it is both moved regularly and sorted.
