About This Coffee
Muthaite Estate is a relatively large farm by Kenyan standards, but size isn’t what sets it apart. Even more fascinating is that it is owned by current Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta. We are pretty sure he doesn’t work (often) at the farm himself – he’s far too busy running a country. But the farm’s excellent heritage and management are excellently shown in this very special Natural lot.
The farm sits at 1,450 to 1,650 meters above sea level in Kiambu, just north of Ruiru. The farm also has a wide range of agricultural activities, including dairy farming. These activities are all grouped under the brand name, ‘Gicheha Farm.’
Kiambu is one of the oldest and most famous growing regions in the country and has a great reputation for quality. Larger farms such as Muthaite are less common in the region these days, as urban development has reduced agricultural land in the region. It is all the more impressive, then, that Muthaite keeps producing great quality every year and is innovating with processing methods, as this Natural showcases.
Cultivation
Kiambu’s deep red volcanic soils, rich in organic matter, make it perfect for coffee farming. However, the long history of agricultural activity in the region, in many cases, has led to soil depletion. This is why Muthaite takes a highly innovative (and serious) approach to fertilization, using a mix of products perfectly aligned to the soils needs to keep trees healthy and productive.
The farm’s 150 hectares are planted under a number of different varieties. Along with the ‘traditional’ SL28 and SL34, Ruiru11 and Batian are also cultivated.
‘SL’ varieties are cultivars originally released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the go-to trees for many growers in Kenya due to their deep root structure, which allows them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish even without irrigation. Along with the more recently developed Ruiru-11, these varieties are virtually ubiquitous in Kenya today.
The Kenya Coffee Research Institute (CRI) (which replaced SAL after independence) released Ruiru-11 in 1985. A hybrid of Catimor and SL cultivars, Ruiru11 is both CBD and CLR resistant, plus it can be planted at a much higher density than the SL varieties, making optimal use of small plots of land.
Batian was introduced by Coffee Research Institute (CRI) in 2010 and is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya. The variety is resistant to both CBD and CLR and has the added benefit of early maturity - cropping after only two years.
All of these are cultivated with a serious eye to sustainability and Good Agricultural Practices, with minimal environmental impact where possible.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
High quality Natural coffees from Kenya are rare, making this coffee even more exciting.
Cherry is selectively handpicked and laid in very thin layers on raised beds to dry for 18 to 24 days. During this time, the cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
In Kenya, Naturals are still typically considered a by-product of a selection process geared towards quality. Called ‘mbuni’, these coffees are traditionally composed of damaged and underripe cherries that are ‘rejected’ during the wet milling process. This is changing rapidly as the market for such coffees grows.
About Kiambu
Kiambu is right outside Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi but is nonetheless known for agriculture – specifically coffee and tea. The county is also home of the Kenyan Coffee Research Foundation.
Kiambu County is also well known for its dairy production, and is the largest dairy producing county in Kenya. Many of the growers here adhere to organic fertilizing practices, using only cow manure instead of agrochemicals on their coffee trees.
Farmers in Kiambu face low production due to pests and disease while simultaneously having to pay high prices for inputs. In recent years, many have felt the strain and have sold their land to real-estate developers looking to build on the edge of Nairobi.
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.