Mutungati FW AB (60kgs)

Mutungati Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS) is a smallholder‑driven coffee producer society established in 1985. Currently, the cooperative has over 450 registered members. The Mutungati factory is located in Nakuru County of the Rift Valley region, at an elevation of approximately 1,700 meters above sea level. The region is dominated by fertile red volcanic soils rich in organic matter, creating ideal conditions for high‑quality coffee production.  

Nakuru County lies to the west of the country and is not the name that historically comes to mind when specialty coffee buyers think of Kenya. That distinction has historically belonged to the counties of the Central Highlands whose names have become shorthand for Kenya's hallmark flavor profile. But Nakuru is quietly earning serious attention, and roasters who understand its geography, its cooperatives and its potential are finding compelling lots that often represent excellent value compared to their more famous neighbors – lots such as this one! 

This Fully washed lot is carefully processed by skilled workers at the Mutungani Factory to achieve excellent quality. Bright, richly sweet and well structured, this coffee is characterized by vibrant red currant and rich dark chocolate notes, with hints of lime zest throughout the profile. 

Although arguably less well-known than some historically famous coffee-growing regions, Kenya’s Rift Valley is increasingly at the forefront of coffee farming. The climate and high altitudes are ideal for high-quality production. The region’s fertile volcanic soils mixed with red clay lend themselves well to growing some of the country’s most famous varieties.   

Coffee is typically cultivated at elevations of 1,700 meters above sea level on these fertile volcanic soils. Most farmers manage small plots averaging 300 to 400 coffee trees, consisting of SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian varieties. Consistent rainfall, cool mountain temperatures, and traditional cultivation methods contribute to slow cherry development, producing beans with distinctive quality. 

Ripe cherries are selectively handpicked by smallholder farmers and delivered to the Mutungati factory. The cherries are then carefully sorted at intake before pulping. After pulping into tanks, coffee then undergoes fermentation for 12 to 24 hours, depending on the weather. After fermentation, parchment is washed through grading channels using clean water to remove all remaining mucilage.  The parchment is then dried on raised beds for an average of 14 to 21 days, depending on weather conditions. Once dried, coffee is hulled, graded and prepared for sale. 

Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AB beans are those that are between screen size 15 and 18 meaning that beans are between 6 and 7 millimeters in size. 

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. 

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

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.

Kenya's Rift Valley has emerged as a growing hub for coffee production, particularly towards the western regions. While historically secondary to central highlands around Mount Kenya (think Kiambu, Muranga, Nyeri, etc), farmers in the region now contribute significantly to national output. 

Early coffee production in Kenya was focused on the Central regions, but Rift Valley regions such as Kericho, Nandi, Bomet and Trans-Nzoia began expanding in the mid-20th century after Kenya achieved independence in 1963. At this point, land ownership was shifted to smallholders via the Swynnerton Plan (1950s), transforming Kericho's coffee into cooperative-driven small farm production. Farmers in the region at that point began diversifying from the traditional maize and tea production, and they were encouraged by a burgeoning cooperative structure within the country alongside ideal coffee growing conditions.   

Kericho's coffee sector is experiencing new attention – something of a revival – with production increasing due to government support and diversification from tea amid favorable prices and soils. Today, Kericho ranks among Rift Valley producing areas (with Nakuru, Nandi), focusing on sustainable agroforestry.