Gicherori factory was opened in 1997 and is operated by the Kibugu Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.). There are around 1,050 smallholder farmer members, who deliver their cherry to the factory the same day it's harvested. It is depulped using a three-disc depulping machine after being sorted and separated. The coffee is fermented overnight, then washed using fresh water, and spreadout on raised beds to dry for 7–15 days.
The factory and its member farmers receive assistance and training from Coffee Management Services (CMS), which offers farmer education, "Good Agricultural Pratices" seminars, and distributes a sustainable-farming handbook.
For more information about coffee production in Kenya, visit our Kenya Origin Page.
