Gatomboya AB

Gatomboya is a Kikuyu word meaning “swamp” due to the swampy area, which made it a good arrow root cultivated area. It was built in 1987 under Mathira FCS and broke off in 1996 to join Barichu FCS. Gatomboya collects cherries from about 698 smallholders for processing. The annual average rainfall in the area is 1500 mm. The temperatures are mainly between 14 and 25 celcius. The soils around Mount Kenya are rich volcanic soils. Gatomboya factory offers its members access to funds set aside from the previous year’s harvest. Members of the cooperative can access pre-financing for school fees, access to farm inputs and funds for emergency needs. The factory has partnered with Coffee Management Services (CMS), for its agronomic ventures. The long term goal is to increase coffee production through farmer training, ready access to inputs, Good Agricultural Practice seminars, and providing updated printed materials on sustainable farming. Paying the producers the highest possible returns sets the momentum for optimum coffee production. After picking, ripe cherry is brought to the factory before it undergoes processing to remove the skin and pulp – known as the wet processing method. Wastewater is discarded in soaking pits, and is also recirculated for conservation. The factory is using a disc pulper with three sets of discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting the green coffee bean. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, before it is cleaned, soaked and spread out on the raised drying tables. Time on the drying tables depends on climate, ambient temperature and volumes under processing, and can take from 7 to 15 days in total.