Gachatha Coffee Factory rests on a 391-acre piece of land between the villages of Muthuaini, Thiriku, Gachenge, and Kianjau. It was placed here in 1963 to form the Gachatha Farmers Co-operative Society Ltd. Co-op membership currently stands at 1,057, of whom 900 are active farmers. The factory itself supports nine permanent staff, with seasonal additions of roughly 25 people to help with cherry reception, depulping, and drying. The permanent staff are split between the key roles of coffee weighing and grading at reception, ensuring farmer payment, and addressing farmers’ complaints.
The area surrounding Gachatha area is densely populated, so every effort is made to minimize impact. The factory treats all water in soak pits to ensure no contaminates run into the local waterways, which are a source for drinking water. The community also places great importance on protecting the indigenous trees that remain in the area, so that the local bird life can be sustained.
Factories: Gachatha
Flowering: Main crop October–December; Fly crop March–May
Average Rainfall: 1600–2000 mm per year. Main crop depends on long rains that come between March and May. Early/ fly crop depends on short rains received between October and December
Temperature Range: 13–24° Celsius
Soils: Deep red volcanic soils
Average Farm Size: 0.4 hectares, about 300 trees per farm
