Story
Wahundura Factory, Murang’a County
The Wahundura Factory is part of the Kamacharia Farmers’ Cooperative Society, which operates four wet mills across the region. This particular factory receives harvests from over 1,100 dedicated smallholder farmers who grow mainly SL28 and Ruiru 11 cultivars.
Situated at elevations between 1,600 and 1,800 meters, the farms benefit from Murang’a’s volcanic soils and steady highland climate, natural ingredients for producing exceptional coffee. The area’s coffees are widely recognized for their crisp acidity, silky mouthfeel, and a lively spectrum of citrus and berry-like flavors that make them stand out on cupping tables around the world.
Processing
Once the cherries have been delivered to the washing station, they are handsorted. The underripes, insect damaged, and other defective cherries are removed. The cherries are then pulped and the parchment is fermented overnight.
Once the fermentation is completed, the parchment is washed and separated into P1, P2, P3, and P light grades. Following the soaking process, the coffees are carefully laid out on hessian mesh mats for up to a day, after which they are moved to traditional drying tables. These tables are typically covered with jute cloth or shade nets, placed over wire mesh surfaces. The drying duration varies, ranging from 12 to 20 days, a timeframe influenced by the vagaries of weather and rainfall patterns
After processing, the farmers of this cooperative take the cherry pulp home and mix it with cow manure to use as fertiliser on their farms.