About Uraga Goro Muda lot #1 Natural
Uraga Goro Muda Natural comes from Haro Wachu kebele in Guji’s Uraga district, located in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. Oromia is the largest region in Ethiopia and is home to more than 30 million people. Guji is one of the oldest and most respected coffee-growing areas in the country. The Harsu Haro Muda kebele, where this coffee originates, is remote and especially hard to reach during the rainy season.
Farms in this area are located between 30 and 45 minutes from the central collection point, and the roads that connect them are unpaved. During the rainy season, these roads become muddy and hazardous, making transport challenging. Local producers move their coffee from farms to the collection center using horses, mules, or donkeys.
Rainfall patterns in the region have changed significantly. What used to be a short rainy season now lasts nearly year-round due to climate change. This makes all forms of labor more difficult, especially during the harvest season, which runs from December to February. Producers take advantage of clear weather when they can, working quickly to harvest and transport coffee before the rains return.
The producers use intercropping techniques, planting false banana trees, maize, Korch, Wanza, and Sesa to provide shade for the coffee plants. Shade selection depends on the age and specific needs of the coffee trees. The area’s soil is a rich sandy loam with excellent water retention and drainage. With proper planting practices, it is self-sustaining and does not require fertilizer to produce high-quality coffee. More than 360 local producers supply cherries to the washing station.
Farmers in this region are part of the Oromo ethnic group and speak Oromiffa. They follow ancestral customs and live a quiet life centered on coffee farming. Many families face challenges such as limited access to electricity and clean drinking water. Children often do not begin school until the age of nine, as they must walk long distances to the nearest school. Because of this delay in education, most young people in the community grow up working in agriculture, tending coffee, potatoes, maize, or false banana trees on their family’s or neighbors’ land.
Despite these challenges, the producers of Goro Muda are known in the specialty coffee world for their deep knowledge, strong dedication, and exceptional coffee quality.
