Kenya Murang'a AA Top - Riakiberu Station (2018)

This Peaberry coffee is from the Riakiberu Washing Station in the Central Province north of Nairobi in Murang'a County. Around 700 small farmers bring their cherry to this washing station.The small farmers cultivate SL28, Ruiru 11 and some of the new high yielding Batian coffee varieties. With ideal conditions for coffee growing, farmers benefit from the mineral rich volcanic soils, typical for the area. The area experiences an annual rainfall of 1,200 mm at 1,650 masl. After picking, ripe cherry is brought to the factory by smallholder farmers, before it undergoes processing to remove the skin and pulp – known as the fully washed or wet processing method. Parchment beans are taken to raised drying tables for a period of around 10-22 days where they are gently turned.

Riakiberu Coffee Factory's long term goal is to encourage increased production through farmer training and agricultural seminars that are conducted year round. Their wish is to establish a transparent, trust based relationship with the smallholder farmers and help support sustained industry growth in Kenya, whilst bringing premium quality and premium prices to the farmers. The Riakiberu coffee factory belongs to the Kamacharia Farmers Cooperative Society. From funds set aside from the previous year's harvest, members of the cooperative can access pre-financing for school fees, access to farm inputs and funds for emergency needs. This area has two harvests, one from March to May, and the main harvest from October to December.