Founded in 1970, Kaganda Coffee Factory is now owned by the Kaganda Farmers Cooperative Society, representing around 1050 members. The washing station is located in Murang’a County in Murarandia, Central Kenya Province, at 1800 masl, and covers just over 5 acres. Smallholders from the surrounding villages of Gathiru, Gathaithi, Gathambara, Gatuongo, and Kagaa deliver harvests of Kenya’s signature SL28 and SL34 varietals to the factory, where they are combined into a daily lot, each typically comprising cherries from hundreds of producers.
On arrival, cherries are hand-sorted to remove any unripe fruit or defects and floated for density, before being pulped. They are then fermented overnight, and washed and soaked in clean water to remove any remaining mucilage. The coffee is spread out across African raised beds and left to dry under the sun for up to 3 weeks, where it is regularly turned and raked to ensure even drying until the desired moisture content of 10-12% is reached. At this stage it is stable, and the coffee is stored in parchment until being delivered to the dry mill for the final preparation before export.
Seasonal buying is about seeing coffee as a crop not a commodity, buying in harmony with the growing seasons to enjoy coffee at its best. This kind of buying has always been the backbone of our business and it’s something we’ve improved and refined every year.
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