Nyeri Hill
KENYA
Just 3 kilometres from the town of Nyeri, Nyeri Hill Estate is one of the earliest and largest coffee plantations in Kenya. Owned by the Catholic Archdiocese since 1904, the plantation employs about 2,000 people during the peak harvest season and is able to process 10 tons of coffee a day in high quality.
The Nyeri Hill Plantation is lying at an altitude of 1,600-2,200 metres above sea level in the Nyeri region, surrounded by Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range. Nyeri is located in central Kenya, on the southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya and the eastern slopes of the Aberdare Range, and alongside the neighbouring Kirinyaga region, is home to Kenya’s most complex coffees. Fertile volcanic soil, mild average temperatures and seasonal rainfalls provide ideal conditions for high-quality coffee cultivation. During processing, first, the cherries are de-pulped and then fermented overnight. It is followed by washing and drying in the sun for 9 to 13 days. Due to its sheer size, the plantation is one of Nyeri’s most important agricultural players and, in addition to providing one of the main sources of income for the Nyeri County Catholic Church, it also operates a number of educational institutions and provides livelihoods for more than 300 families throughout the year.