BACKGROUND

Kiangoi factory is affiliated to Rungeto Farmers Co-operative Society Ltd. It has 950 members who deliver cherries to the factory for processing.

SOILS AND CLIMATE

The factory lies at an altitude of about 1,500 m above sea level in a region with red soil. The area experiences moderate bimodal rainfall of about 1,200 mm p.a. with temperatures ranging between 13–25°C. The long rains fall between March–May while the short rains come between October and December.

PRODUCTION

The area experiences a biennial production cycle with the early harvest being from April–June and the late second season being from October–December. The main varieties of coffee grown are SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11, with SL28 and SL34 accounting for 99% of all coffee produced while Ruiru 11 accounts for 1% of all production.

PROCESSING

After picking, ripe cherry is brought to the factory before it undergoes processing to remove the skin and pulp — known as the wet processing method. Waste water is discarded in soaking pits and is also recirculated for conservation. The factory uses a disc pulper with three sets of discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that protects the green coffee bean. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, before it is cleaned, soaked and spread out on the raised drying tables. Time on the drying tables depends on climate, ambient temperature and volumes under processing, and can take from 7 to 15 days in total.

MANAGEMENT

Kiangoi Coffee factory is run by a factory manager who oversees all activities within the factory. Together with other staff members they carry out duties such as weighing coffee, selection and grading of coffee, paying farmers and addressing farmers’ complaints.

AGRONOMY

The affiliate members of the factory carry out all agronomic activities associated with coffee production — they source coffee from the Coffee Research Station and plant it according to the stipulated guidelines.

Fieldwork carried out involves weeding, pruning, spraying, and application of fertilizer, mulching and technical advice.