Home to the wildest forests in Ethiopia, Gesha coffee beans grow in the Bench Sheko (previously known as Bench Maji) region of Ethiopia right across the South Sudan border.

Tracon Trading coffee exporters bought Gesha Farm in 2017. High altitudes of 1,800 to 1,980 meters above sea level are perfect for the delicate Geisha variety, which prefers higher altitudes.

Though one variety of wild Geisha is thought to come from the Western Omo zone, this woreda (zone) is the only one in Western Omo that is suitable for coffee growing. In fact, the locals don’t typically grow coffee but rather sorghum and corn. That being said, wild Geisha does grow in the coffee forests in Bench Maji and outgrowers are sometimes hired to pick wild Geisha and deliver it to nearby farms for processing.
Workers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to the on-farm processing mill. Cheryr is floated to remove any underripe or damaged cherry and laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake cherry frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 20 to 23 days for cherry to dry.