Shoondhisa, Ethiopia (250gm)

Nestled in the hills of Shakiso, Guji, the Suke drying station has been a cornerstone of Sookoo Coffee since its establishment in 2017. For five years—before the construction of the Sawana drying station and the Weessi washing station—Suke served as the beating heart of the operation.

Today, Suke buys cherries from approximately 35 smallholder farmers to produce Shoondhisa. Unlike in much of Latin America, where coffee is often grown on large estates with thousands of trees, most Ethiopian farmers cultivate small plots. It is not uncommon for coffee to come from home gardens, intercropped with subsistence crops. While the average Ethiopian farm is 2.5 hectares—larger than the average farm in Colombia—the planting density is far lower. Coffee in Ethiopia is typically grown in fully or semi-forested systems, resulting in fewer trees per hectare and lower yields. The national average yield is an astonishingly modest 0.8 kilograms of cherry per tree per year.

Compounding this, most Ethiopian producers lack the infrastructure and financial means to process and dry their own coffee. For them, centralized stations like Suke are essential. Having a trusted, high-integrity partner like Sookoo is a major advantage: farmers receive excellent prices and are treated with dignity and respect by Ture Waji and his team. All cherries delivered to Suke are organically produced, reflecting both tradition and ecological stewardship.