Riakiberu AA

Highlights

“Riakiberu is a coffee factory in Kamacharia, Murang'a County, Kenya, sitting at 1,650 meters. Red volcanic soils, roughly 1,200 mm of annual rain and temperatures between 16 and 26°C give the surrounding smallholders good conditions, and they mostly grow SL28 with smaller volumes of Batian and Ruiru 11. There are two harvests a year, with the main crop picked between October and December. Cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness and delivered to the wet mill, where they are depulped and given a traditional washed fermentation of 12 to 24 hours while the mucilage breaks down. The parchment is then washed and dried on raised African beds for 10 to 22 days with frequent turning for even drying. The factory runs training in good agricultural practice, encourages members to plant shade trees, and manages wastewater through dedicated soak pits. Producers commonly intercrop coffee with bananas and maize, with grevillea and macadamia providing shade.”