Kagumo Coffee Factory is located in Muranga District, Gitugi location of Mathioya Division near Muranga town (10 kms from town). It was established in 1980’s and rests on an8 acre piece of land serving Kiangoma, Gathiraini, Ruiru and Nyangiti villages. Currently it is affiliated to Rwaikamba Farmers Co-operative Society. Its membership currently stands at 300 of which 252 are active farmers while 58 are inactive farmers. Kagumo Coffee factory is run by John Muchiri the factory manager with 3 permanent members of staff. The area experiences a biannual production cycle with the early harvest being from March–May and the late second season being from October–December .
Through the pre-financing they receive, farmers are given advances for school fees and farm inputs. The factory manager is re-trained every year by CMS, in addition to field days being held by the minister of agriculture and agrochemical companies that deliver inputs to the farmers. Demonstration plots are planted at the factory to reinforce the best practices taught throughout the year. 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. Wastewater is discarded in soaking pits, and is also recirculated for conservation. The factory is using a disc pulper with three sets of discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting 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.
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*Information via C. Dorman LTD
