Getachew Zekele, Hambella

COFFEE NAME: Getachew Zekele, Hambella ROAST: Light TASTING NOTES: Black Tea, Cocoa Nibs, Honeysuckle REGION: Guji, Ethiopia FARM: Tero VARIETY: 74110 ELEVATION: 2200 MASL Coffee Roots Before he became one of Guji’s most precise producers, Getachew Zekele was an accountant — a literal bean counter. After selling a property in Addis Ababa in 2008, he used the proceeds to buy land in Shakisso and began planting coffee. By 2009 he was harvesting his own crop, collecting cherry from neighbors, and selling through the ECX. In 2016 he formalized Dimtu PLC, pairing his own farm (Tero Farm) with a washing station and later a dry mill to oversee quality from cherry to export. What distinguishes Dimtu from most private washing stations is the structure of its outgrower program. Rather than simply purchasing cherry, Getachew’s team registers and maps every contributing farm, trains each producer in agronomy and processing, and maintains meticulous records through a dedicated outgrower engagement office. Participating farmers receive pre-harvest financing, seedlings, and improved access to materials — and are rewarded with premiums tied directly to quality.