Kenya Ruarai AA Washed

NYERI RUARAI
Kenya Ruarai is a Kikuyu name meaning “place of rocks,” referring to the rocky Ruarai River that flows alongside the coffee factory from which the facility takes its name. The factory is situated in a lively area near the open-air Gakindu market, a communal hub for trading livestock and fresh produce.
Farmers in the area typically deliver their cherries to the Ruthaka Farmers Cooperative Society washing station. The cooperative consists of approximately 600 members who collectively produce about 280 tons of coffee cherry annually. These crops are grown at the foothills of Mount Kenya, where rich red volcanic soils provide excellent nutrition and contribute to high productivity.
Processing begins the same day the cherries are harvested and delivered to the station. At the wet mill, cherries are carefully sorted before pulping to separate ripe red cherries from underripe, overripe, or defective fruit and foreign matter. The selected cherries undergo wet processing with clean water, which is recirculated before being directed to evaporation and seepage pits. After fermentation and washing, the washed parchment coffee is carefully dried in the sun and delivered to the dry mill for secondary processing.
The region experiences two rainy seasons: the short rains and the long rains. The main harvest depends on the long rains, which occur between April and June. Most farms are small, generally ranging between one and two hectares. While adults manage the farm work, children attend school during the day. However, the cost of education presents a barrier for many families, limiting opportunities in this economically disadvantaged area. As a result, many young people have migrated to cities in search of employment, often leaving their parents behind or relocating the entire family and abandoning the farms.
Although this trend has persisted for a long time, recent increases in coffee prices are encouraging some younger community members to remain in rural areas and continue cultivating coffee.