Description
Gathaithi
cooperative
The current Gathaithi farmers' cooperative was formerly the Tetu Gigante coffee producer. It operates as a single mill and currently has 1,656 active farmers.
Gathaithi Farmers Cooperative Society is located in Gaki, a Gathaithi sub-district in Tetu Sub-County, Nyeri County. It is 160 km north of Nairobi, between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges. The area is covered with red volcanic rock at an altitude of 1,720 meters above sea level, and temperatures range between 16 and 26°C.
The farms of small producers in Gathaithi have two harvests: one in late September to mid-January, the late harvest representing the 70%, and the early harvest between April and July, corresponding to the 30%. At the mill, the 95% processed belongs to the SL28 and SL34 varieties, an 11% to Ruiru, and the 1% to Batian.
Process
The cherries are harvested manually once they are ripe, and each producer delivers them to the processing plant on the same day they are picked. There, they are sorted to ensure quality.
After pulping, the coffee ferments overnight to break down the sugars in the mucilage and then passes through channels filled with water to the soaking tank, where the coffee is cleaned. It is then spread out on raised tables for drying. Drying time depends on weather conditions and the volume of production processed.
The coffee is then sorted manually once it's already in parchment form. In line with the growing awareness of the need to conserve the environment, the factory has dug wells for wastewater disposal away from drinking water sources.
The Gathaithi Coffee Cooperative is led by a manager who oversees all the mill's activities. Together with other staff members, they carry out tasks such as weighing coffee, sorting and grading, and paying producers.
In addition to coffee, the farms also grow bananas and corn, and Grevillea or macadamia trees are used for shade.
