Kiri

The Kiri processing station is owned by the Ngiriambu Farmers Cooperative Society and is located near the town of Kianyaga in Kirinyaga County. Kirinyaga lies in central Kenya, south of Mount Kenya, along with the neighbouring Nyeri Province it is the home of Kenya’s most complex coffees. Over 70% of the region’s coffee is produced by smallholders working on a few hectares, growing only around 250 coffee shrubs each. During the harvest period, approximately 1,200 small producers deliver their crops to Kiri, where the coffee cherries are immediately sorted and separated according to various criteria. Upon reception, cherries are de-pulped and then fermented the following night. Fermentation is a microbial process, during which various wild yeasts and bacteria help to break down the slimy, sugary layer attached to the seeds of the fruit. This is followed by repeated washing and drying for 9-13 days.