Musa Abalulesa

JARC 74110 & 74165 varieties grown by Musa Abalulesa, his brother, & a few neighbours, in Agaro, Ethiopia. Processed as a traditional (for Agaro) washed & dried on raised beds, the resulting cup is distinctly "Agaro" with buttery texture, & a delicate and tea-dominant profile with flavours like sencha, apricot florals, and honey-melon.

Musa Abalulesa farms 44 hectares (with significant help from his brother and neighbours) near Beshasha in Agaro, on land his family received through an amnesty program following Ethiopia's transition from military rule. In 2006, he won a national competition organized by the Ethiopian government, selected as the top winner among 500 participants across four woredas. The prize sent him to the African Fine Coffees Association conference in Uganda, along with a hand pulper. But when the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange launched in 2008, direct export ended, forcing him to sell locally at commercial prices for eight years. When legislation changed in 2016, Musa immediately pursued direct export - a choice that proved transformative. The premiums he's earned have funded significant farm renovations, new infrastructure (Penagos 2500 eco-pulper), and inspired neighbouring farmers to follow suit. Today, he operates a seed bank in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, ensuring the landraces that work in this area thrive for future generations.