About This Coffee
Coffee trees were first planted at Mwendia in the 1960s by Perminus Githinji Mwendia’s parents. Today, Perminus, who inherited the farm from his parents, manages Mwendia with help from his own son, Joseph. Before establishing themselves as a sought-after microlot, the Mwendias delivered cherry to Konyu Factory, managed by Kabare Farmers Cooperative Society. Selling under their own name helps the Perminus and Joseph sell directly to Sucafina and garner higher prices per kg.
Cultivation
Situated in Kimunye, in Kirinyaga, Mwendia Farm sits at the lofty altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level, along the slopes of Mt. Kenya. In addition to benefiting from the deep red, nutrient-rich volcanic soil, the Mwendia family works with Wycliffe O. Murwayi, , Managing Director of Sucastainability Kenya. With decades of experience as an agronomist, Wycliffe works with families like the Mwendias, sharing information about good agricultural practices (GAP) and helping them determine how to continue improving coffee quality.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively The producer sells directly to our local partner KENYACOF (Sucafina in Kenya), who as a service provider takes care of in-country logistics, milling and preparation for export.
Cherry is selectively handpicked. Harvested cherry is visually inspected and floated for density. Cherry is separated by color and degree of ripeness, which enables better calibration on the pulping discs and significantly reduces the number of damaged beans. Pulped cherry is fermented, washed in clean water and transferred to raised tables. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 10-21 days for parchment to dry.
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.