Gachatha AA, KENYA – Vibrant ( Only)

Gachatha Coffee Factory rests on a 392-acre piece of land between the villages of Muthuaini, Thiriku, Gachenge, and Kianjau. It started in 1963 to form the Gachatha Farmers’ Co-operative Society Ltd. Co-op. Its current stands at 1,542.

The area surrounding Gachatha area is densely populated, so every effort is made to minimize impact. The factory treats all water in soak pits to ensure no contaminates run into the local waterways, which are a source for drinking water. The community also places great importance on protecting the indigenous trees that remain in the area, so that the local bird life can be sustained.

LOCATION

Gachatha factory was formed in 1963 and it is situated in the slopes of the Aberdare mountain range, Karundu location, Nyeri County about 150km north of Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

SOILS AND CLIMATE

Gachatha Coffee Factory experiences moderate bimodal rainfall and temperatures here range from 13 to 24C year round. The main varieties of coffee grown here is SL28, Batian, SL34 and Ruiru 11. The region has deep, fertile well drained red volcanic soils which are ideal for coffee production.

PROCESSING

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 wet processing method. The nearest water source and the factory are dependent on electrical pumps to move water to reservoir tanks before using it for processing.