About This Coffee
Members of Kibugu FCS cultivate SL28, SL34 (80%) and Ruiru 11 and Batian varieties on small coffee gardens that are typically less than 1 hectare. The coffee is cultivated at altitudes ranging from 1,550 to 1,700 meters above sea level, yielding beans with bright acidity and complex flavors. Kathakwa Factory takes every action to preserve the exceptional quality of the cherry delivered by their members.
Kibugu FCS operates 4 additional wetmills in addition to Kathakwa: Gikirima, Ndunduri, Ngerwe and Gicherori. Kathakwa was built in 1964 and has been producing high quality coffee since that time.
Cultivation
Farmers delivering to Kathakwa Factory cultivate their coffee trees on smallholdings, with each farm averaging about 300 trees. The altitude and fertile soils of Embu County create the perfect environment for growing premium coffee.
Kibugu FCS is Rainforest Alliance certified. Member farmers use sustainable agricultural practices to protect the biodiversity of the region and ensure long-term productivity.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
During the harvest season, farmers carefully handpick only the ripest cherries, which are then transported to Kathakwa Factory for processing. Coffee is handsorted and then pulped into tanks for fermentation (12 to 16 hours).
Following fermentation, coffee is washed clean water and parchment is laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture. Coffee is usually dried for 7 to 14 days, depending on weather conditions, ensuring they develop the desired characteristics and quality that Kathakwa coffee is known for.
About SL28 & SL34
SL28 and SL34 were two of the cultivars released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) during the height of SAL’s research in Kenya in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the cultivars of choice for most growers thanks to their deep root structure that allows them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish even without irrigation. SL varieties also had higher yields than the French Bourbon rootstock that they replaced and were known to be somewhat more disease resistant.
About Batian
Developed by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute in 2010, Batian is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya and is resistant to both coffee berry disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust (CLR). The variety has the added benefit of early maturity – cropping after only two years. Some challenges (such as vegetative structure) have prevented it from becoming widespread so far, but its popularity is certainly growing.
About Ruiru 11
Ruiru 11, a hybrid of Catimor and SL cultivars, is both Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistant. Plus, it can be planted at a much higher density than the SL varieties, making optimal use of small plots of land.
Ruiru 11 has slowly ‘taken root’ across most of Kenya’s coffee growing landscape. The only issues were that with a shallower root structure, many farmers found the plant less hardy in drought conditions, and the trees required a more intense feeding program. Over time, farmers have found that by grafting Ruiru-11 to SL varieties they could take advantage of SL trees’ expansive root system and still reap the increased yields and higher immunity to disease of Ruiru-11.
Due to the grafted Ruiru-11’s growing popularity, most farms in Kenya today, both big and small, have a mixture of Ruiru-11 and SL varieties. As SL trees age, many farmers are opting to turn more towards Ruiru-11 (or the grafting solution) thanks to its ease of use and higher resistance to diseases.
Source: https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/varieties/ruiru-11 & https://sucafina.com/na/news/think-you-know-kenya-coffee-varieties-think-again
Coffee in Kenya
Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation. Since the start of production, Kenyan coffee has been recognized for its high-quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors. Our in-country sister company, Sucafina Kenya, works with farmers across the country to ensure these exceptional coffees gain the accolades they deserve.
Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.
Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.