Farm: Thiriku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society
Variety: SL28, SL34 & some Ruiru 11(<1%)
Processing: Wet processed & sun-dried on raised beds
Altitude: 1890 meters above sea level
Owner: Various smallholder farmers
City: Thiriku
Region: Nyeri County, Central Kenya
Country: Kenya
Coffee in Kenya is produced by smallholder farmers. All these farmers are members of the Thiriku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society. The Thiriku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society is located in Nyeri County in Central Kenya, between the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range.
Each company owns one coffee processing plant that serves six communities. The plant is located at a high altitude, which provides a dry and low-temperature environment that helps the coffee cherries mature and dry slowly, enhancing their flavor (altitude of 1900 meters). The farmers themselves choose the good quality, highly ripe, and red cherries. They then deliver them to the company or drop them off at one of the four designated collection points. From there, they are exported on the same day. These cherries are stored before pulping, with damaged or unripe cherries being separated. This process is supervised by cherry monitors who monitor and keep records of the cherries for sales. After pulping, the coffee is put into a demucilager instead of the traditional method of washing coffee with water. After that, it is washed with clean, fresh river water to remove all traces of pulp. Then, it is laid out on drying beds for nine to fifteen days. During the drying process, the covers are moved from time to time to detect damaged beans.
