Kenya AB Top Kora - Kiru Farmers Cooperative

Located in the Kagumoini region, Kiru Farmers Cooperative Society manages 4 processing stations including: Kora, Kamagogo, Diara and Kiruru. Collectively there are 3.500 farmers actively producing coffee. Kora Factory owns a single wet mill will all coffees are processed. Soil composition consist of red volcanic soil which is rich in minerals and optimum for coffee production. This allows for farmers to produce multiple varietals including SL28, Ruiru 11 and Batian.

The factory is receiving assistance from Dorman’s partners at the Coffee Management Services. The long term goal is to increase coffee production through farmer training, input access, agricultural practice seminars and sustainable farming techniques which are reviewed each year.

The coffee cherries are hand-sorted by the farmers before they go in to production. The pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented for 24-36 hours under shade depending on climate. After fermentation, the coffees are washed and again graded by density in washing channels. They are then taken to the drying tables where they will be sun dried for up to 20 days on African drying beds. Through pre-financing that the receive, farmers from Kora Factory are given advances for school fees and farm inputs. The factory manager is trained each year by CMS and agronomist from the Ministry of Agriculture also make trips to Factories throughout the year to ensure that new techniques are being implemented.