Kenya AB Top - Mihuti

Mihutu Factory, established in 1960, operates under the Rugi Farmer Cooperative Society, which consists of 4,590 active members with an average farm size of less than one hectare. Rugi is a long-standing cooperative established in the late 1960s that oversees multiple wet mills in the area. Situated in Nyeri County, the town of Mihuti from which the washing station takes is name is nestled between Mount Kenya and the Aberdares range at an altitude of 1,700 meters. The region’s rural economy is primarily supported by coffee and dairy farming.During the coffee harvest, the factory (as local wet mills are called) receives and processes coffee cherries daily. Coffees are depulped, fermented overnight, and then cleaned and sorted for density via concrete washing channels befre being dried on raised beds for 7–15 days, rotated regularly for uniform dryness.

Growing Coffee in Kenya

Coffee is grown through the highland regions of Kenya, including Kisii, Nyanza, and Bungoma in the west; Nakuru and Kericho in the Great Rift Valley; Machakos, Embu, and Meru to the east of Mt. Kenya; and the Taita hills near the coast. The largest and oldest coffee growing areas are the central highlands, particularly Nyeri, sandwiched between the foothills of Mt Kenya to the east and the Aberdare mountain range to the west. Most coffee in Kenya is grown between 4,500 and 6,500 feet. Nearly all of Kenya’s 700,000 coffee producers are small land holders belonging to cooperatives. Most common varieties in Kenya are Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34, and K7. SL34 and K7 were developed from heirloom bourbon known as “French Mission,” which was the primary variety grown prior to the 1930’s that can still be found today, as can Blue Mountain on some farms. Kenyan coffees are graded by screen size and while there are several grades, specialty coffee is AA, AB, or PB (peaberry), used in combination with quality grade FAQ or FAQ Plus (Fair Average Quality).