Post-harvest handling:
The ripened fruits of the coffee bush are processed by removing the coffee seeds from their coverings and from the pulp. There are two different processes: the wet and the dry.

Wet process The fruit is pulped by a pulping machine. Any residual pulp, left clinging to the beans, is removed by fermentation in tanks for 20-30 hours. The beans are then washed and dried in the sun until a 12% moisture content is reached. The seed parchment, the endocarp and the pellicle are then removed mechanically.

Dry process The fruits are laid out to dry in the sun. When the beans have dried to 12% moisture content, they are mechanically hulled to remove the seeds' coverings.

Grading and storage:
Coffee is the world's second most important commodity, after oil. Grading gives buyers and sellers important information about the origin, nature and quality of the product.

Shipment:
Green coffees are stored in well-ventilated warehouses and are shipped in jute bags or containers to roasters worldwide by truck, ship and rail.