Kenya Kiaranga Coffee

Coffee beans Kenya Kiaranga Station

The coffee on the farms of this cooperative grows in the shade of eucalyptus, macadamia and grevillea trees.

Philosophy and taste profile

A bright microlot of fresh harvest from Kenya of the highest quality from the cooperative Mwuriya (Mwirua Farmers Coffee Society).

Taste profile: a complex and clean cup with a bouquet of red berries, grapefruit, blackberries, currant leaves, sweet cherries, sweet black tea and pastries.

About processing station

The Kiaragan processing station is located in the Central Province, in the Mukure district, near the town of Kerugoya in Kirinyaga District. The uniqueness of this factory lies in the fact that it is located in the tea growing area.

Kiaragana was founded in 1979 and is located on a plot of land with an area of about 3 hectares. Coffee comes here from local villages: Kiaragana, Nguguini, Karuku and Gatuti (Kiaragana, Nguguini, Karuku, Gathuthi Villages). Kiaragana belongs to the Mwuriya Cooperative (Mwirua FCS). Currently, there are 1,000 farmers in the cooperative, of which 600 are active.

Cooperatives and their associated processing plants receive financial support from Coffee Management Services (CMS). To increase productivity and quality, farmers are constantly being trained and have access to various educational resources, including seminars on good agricultural practices and guidelines on sustainable agriculture, which are updated annually and distributed to cooperative members. There are also field days from the Ministry of Agriculture and agrochemical companies (with leading agronomists).

Each processing station is managed by a manager appointed by the cooperative. The manager controls all the activities of the station: weighing of coffee berries, sorting, processing and drying processes, payment of farm labor and consideration of complaints from farmers. The manager undergoes re-training every year, as his duties also include daily training of station employees and farmers who are served by the processing station.

About lot production

Coffee grows on farms in the shade of eucalyptus, macadamia and grevillea trees. Along with coffee trees, corn and banana trees are often planted on farms. Ripe berries are harvested by hand and delivered to the processing station on the same day, the berries are additionally sorted manually by station staff upon arrival.

Disk depulpators and fermentation tanks (usually concrete) are installed at the processing stations. The washing treatment stations are equipped with water recirculators, flushing channels/sewage channels. All the water that is consumed during washing and soaking, then enters the soil through sewage channels.

In the first 24 hours, the coffee received at the processing station and sorted is depulpated. After depulpation, the coffee is fermented overnight. Next (after fermentation), the coffee in the brocade is thoroughly washed and soaked for several hours in clean water, then evenly distributed for drying on African beds. Depending on the weather conditions, drying takes from one to several weeks (until the humidity reaches 12%). During drying, the coffee (in the parchment) is sorted manually, removing defects. During the rain, the parchment is covered with a film, and it is also covered at noon (to avoid overheating and damage to the parchment).

Next, the coffee in the parchment is sent to a local warehouse, and then to a pre-export preparation station (dry mill), where the parchment is removed (halling), after which the coffee is sorted (color sorting, grading) and packaged for further shipment.

About the country of growth

Coffee in Kenya is grown both on large plantations and on small farms. Small farmers are members of cooperatives and donate their crops to processing stations owned by cooperatives. The main commercial interest for buyers is Central Kenya, as well as areas in the west of the country. Among the main coffee–producing regions are Nieri, Kirinyaga, Muranga, Embu and a number of others. Depending on the region, coffee is grown at an altitude of 1200 to 2200 meters above sea level. The main varieties of Arabica: SL28, SL34, Ruiru11, Batian, K7.

Central Province is a region in the central part of Kenya. It covers an area of 13.191 km2, is located north of Nairobi and west of Mount Kenya, near the A2 road line, 42 kilometers northeast of the capital Nairobi. The climate of the Central Province is generally cooler than in the rest of Kenya, due to the higher altitude above sea level. The rains are fairly stable, falling in two seasons: the first — from early March to May (prolonged rains), and the second — in October and November (short rains).

There are more than 300,000 farmers and about 70 processing stations belonging to farmers' cooperatives in the central province of Kenya.

There are two harvest seasons in Kenya: main and early. The main crop (late harvest/main crop) is harvested from November to December, while the early crop (fly crop) is harvested from May to June each year. Our Kenya is a blend of coffee from the main crop.

Video about the country where coffee grows - Kenya

Packing, grinding and storage of coffee

Packing options: 250 grams, 1 kilogram and in drip bags. We can grind coffee for any brewing method, just check the Grind checkbox and select the grind size for your brewing method.

Thanks to packing in a nitrogen environment, coffee retains its bouquet unchanged for up to 6 months in a closed pack. After opening, store the coffee beans in a dry place without direct sunlight and grind immediately before cooking. It is best in our zip-fastener pack or in a jar with a vacuum function. Remember: oxygen is the main enemy of coffee, especially if it is ground in advance. If you are going away for a long time, coffee can be frozen once in the freezer.