88.29

Tekliya Bogale Weldemariam, 60, is a coffee farmer from West Arsi, Nesebo woreda, Bula kebele, Oromia. He is a breadwinner for nine family members. He started coffee farming in 1980 on his 5 hectares of land. He received training from the agricultural bureau including coffee farm management and red cherry processing, which allowed him to process 120,000 kilograms of washed coffee annually.

“I do not have regular customers. I usually wait about a year to sell my produce. I process in November and sell the following October when the coffee demand exceeds supply. However, storing affects the coffee quality,” Tekliya said.

Tekliya’s coffee scored 88.29 in this year’s Cup of Excellence competition, putting him in 15th place. “My family and I are very happy and have been celebrating after we heard the news. The result is encouraging for me and my children. With the amount of work, we put in each year, we never get fair compensation, and with this, I am hopeful we will get our effort’s worth,” he said.