COFFEE PRODUCTION

Introduction
• Family: Rubiaceae
• Arabica coffee (Coffea Arabica)- origin: Ethiopian highlands
• Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora)-origin: Congo basin
• Excelsa coffee
• Coffea stenophyla
• Coffea liberica- Origin: West Africa
• Coffee Arabica contributes 70% of
produced coffee while Robusta
contributes 30%.
Coffee uses & berry
Uses
• Beverage production
• Furniture
• Animal feeds
Parts of coffee berry
Coffee varieties grown in Kenya

• K-7
• SL-28
• SL-34
• Blue mountain
• Ruiru 11
• Batian
Climatic conditions
Arabica coffee
Origin: Ethiopian highland
• Altitude:600 to 1,800 m. The suitability of slopes for coffee is because these are well-drained and also
cooler. Water stagnation is very harmful for coffee plants; therefore, hill slopes are best suitable for it.
• Temperature: The optimum temperature range is somewhere between 15° and 24° C. Much higher temperatures tend
to impact negatively on both yield and quality.
• Rainfall: between 1500 and 2000 mm per annum
• Irrigation: use of irrigation today allows arabica to be grown also in areas with otherwise insufficient rainfall.
• Soil: requires different soil types, but the ideal is a fertile, volcanic red earth or a deep, sandy loam. Yellow-brown,
high silt soils are less preferred. Avoid heavy clay or poor-draining soils. Soil pH 6.0-6.5 (slightly acidic)
• Shade: Direct sunlight is harmful for coffee plants; therefore, these are planted under shade of taller
trees such as bananas. Leguminous plants are used which not only provide shade but also enrich soil
with nitrogen.

Robusta coffee
• Origin: lowland Equatorial Africa, particularly in the forests of the Congo River Basin and around the Lake Victoria
Crescent in Uganda.
• Altitude: from about 200 to 900 m.
• Rainfall: abundant rainfall of around 2,000 mm per annum. Rainfall must be well distributed throughout most of the
year because the robusta tree has a relatively shallow root system.
• Temperature: from 22° to 26° C and the species is less tolerant of very high as well as very low temperatures than is
arabica.
 Land preparation
LAND PREPARATION
- Ring-bark all the trees before planting in order to kill the trees and their roots by exhausting their starch
reserves thus preventing Amirallia root rot found on roots and stumps.
- Then uproot the old plant stumps and roots.
- Put up soil conservation measures for areas with a slope above 300
- For low lying areas construct, cut –off drains should be constructed to lead the storm water to a grassed
water way
- Dig deeply to eradicate all perennial weeds.
- Use tree killers eg (aborizides) 2,4,5-T
WIND BREAKS
• Strong wings may physically damage the plant, increase the transpiration rate and lower the leaf
temperature. Hence, Such winds need to be controlled by planting shade trees.
• Wind breaks are trees which are planted perpendicular to the direction of winds and along the edges of
the land as well as within the tea farm in order to slow down the wind speed.
Planting
• Spacing
1-3 m x 1-3 m
• Planting holes
Prepared 3 months before transplanting date to allow weathering of
the walls
Hole size: 60 x 60 x 60 cm
Refilling of holes: done 1 month before transplanting
Refilling mixture: 20 kg organic manure, 20g phosphorous fertilizer
Weed control

• Proper land preparation

• Cultural methods
• Uprooting
• Light cultivation
• Use of herbicides
• Mulching
Pruning systems
• Single stem pruning system
Aims at allowing one permanent stem per plant
Procedure
Capping the stem at three height stages of 50, 120 and 180cm while allowing
the best lateral shoot to grow
• Multiple stem pruning system
Allows two or more stems per plant
1. Capped multiple stem pruning system
The stems are finally capped at 180 cm height
2. Non-capped multiple stem pruning system
The stems are never capped but will be replaced with new ones during the
change of cycle stage which comes after every 3-5 years
Harvesting and post harvest handling

• Manual harvesting
Selective picking of only the completely ripe berries using people
• Mechanical harvesting using machines
• Post harvest handling
• Wet processing
• Dry processing
Involves drying of whole berries under the sun.
Wet processing
Stages
• Sorting
Separates the clean berries from the lower quality berries like over-ripe, under-ripe, pest
infested, non=berry materials
• Pulping
Is the removal of the skin/exocarp and par of the mesocarp
• Fermentation
Done for 24-48 hours under water to remove the mesocarp through fermentation
• Cleaning
Involves washing the fermented berries against clean water
• Drying
Involves the drying of berries under the sun on raised trays to the right moisture content
• Bagging
Is packing of dry berries in porous sisal bags
Primary Coffee Processing
Proper coffee processing is important as it sustains bean quality and thus assures better prices to growers.
There are two methods of coffee processing namely wet and dry methods.
•Wet processing
is the pre-dominant practice in Kenya. The process involves a series of stages and
each must be undertaken in the right manner and with facilities which
are in good order.
The stages are:
•Cherry harvesting
Ensure timely and selective picking of bright red cherry. Avoid picking green
and under-ripe berries which may cause pulping and fermentation problems
Use clean harvesting bags, baskets or tins
Avoid dropping cherry on bare ground during picking
The harvested cherry should be kept under shade to protect it from direct sun
Cherry should be transported in clean containers/bags
Transportation of cherry to the factory should be done on the same
day of harvesting
Cherry sorting

Spread the cherry on a clean material/floor to avoid contamination

 Remove the green, under/over ripe, dry, insect infested/diseased berries,
twigs, leaves and any other foreign materials such as stones
 Weigh and record the sorted cherry
· Process the sorted out lower grade cherry (under ripes, over ripes and greens)
by the dry method as Buni
Pulping and pre-grading

Pulping involves the removal of the outer red skin (pulp) of the cherry
· The pulping machine used should be clean, in good mechanical order
and well-adjusted depending on the size of beans
· Control the cherry feed rate to avoid overfeed that may cause too
much pulp in the parchment
•Pulping should be done on the same day of cherry harvesting
 Processing water must be clean, free from colour and odours
 During pulping, pre-grade coffee parchment into heavy and light beans
· Re-circulate processing water to enhance subsequent fermentation.
Dispose off the recirculated water every day after pulping
 Flush the pulping system with clean water immediately after pulping
Fermentation and intermediate washing

 This is done to break down the mucilage into simple non sticky substances which are easily washed off from the coffee beans
 Mucilage attracts dust, taints coffee, inhibits drying and is a media of mould growth, all of which affect bean quality. Its removal is
therefore important for drying
 Place the different grades of parchment in separate fermentation tanks. The tanks should be shaded to protect the parchment from
direct sunlight and rainfall
 The depth of parchment in fermentation tanks should not exceed 1 metre
 Drain all water and leave the parchment for at least 16 hours (depending on the weather conditions and whether re-circulated water is
used or not). Undertake intermediate washing (after about 16 hours or so), then 4 to 6 hours of further dry fermentation if necessary
 Fermentation is complete when parchment feels gritty and is no longer slippery upon pressing between fingers. To test, put some
fermented parchment in a bowl, add enough water, wash and check for grittiness

· Always ensure that the fermentation tanks are free from cracks and are well painted with appropriate paints which are acid resistant
and compliant to health standards
Final washing and grading of parchment

Once fermentation is complete, fill the tank with clean water, stir vigorously with paddles, drain off the water
and repeat several times to assist in detaching the mucilage from the parchment
· Wash the parchment thoroughly on well painted concrete
channels using clean water and rubber paddles/squeezers
· Push the parchment against a stream of water to clean and
grade it into parchment 1, 2, 3 and lights (PL)
 Take Parchment 3 and lights to the skin drying tables
 Put parchment 1 and 2 under water in separate soak
tanks overnight. Thereafter, wash and take the
parchment to the skin drying tables
· If the drying tables are inadequate, one may soak for
longer periods, changing the water daily but usually not
more than 7 days
Parchment drying Skin drying of parchment (55 – 45% MC)

This is the removal of surface water and that between the parchment hull and the bean. It should be executed
within the shortest time possible (2-3 hrs in a normal day). Parchment should not be left on the skin drying
tables overnight
 Maintain a parchment layer of approximately 1 inch for even drying
· Frequently stir the parchment to enhance water removal and
prevent parchment cracking
 Mechanical drying is also recommended
· Sort out defective beans since they are easily distinguishable
during this stage
· Transfer the parchment to the final drying beds when the skin of
the parchment is free of surface moisture as well as beneath the hull
· Maintain drying tables in clean condition and absolutely flat
for even drying
 Clear all leftover beans on the beds before placing new wet parchment
White stage (45-30% M.C)

 The beans are white when the parchment skin is removed

· Place the parchment on drying beds lined with sisal-tex, hessian cloth,
tilder/shade net maintaining a parchment depth of about 2.5 cm
 Practice slow and cool drying to avoid cracking
· Spread the parchment in a thin layer and stir regularly during the
morning hours and in the evening
· Ideally, in the hot part of the day, a raised shade cover should be
put in place to allow free air movement. Else, pile coffee into a
ridge of about 4-5 inches deep along the centre of the table and
stir regularly
 Finalise the sorting out of the damaged and defective beans
· In the evening and during rainy weather, cover the parchment
with both hessian cloth and nylex
· Avoid dropping parchment on bare ground or on the grass. Any
parchment collected should be put in the parchment light category
Soft black stage (30 -20% M.C)

 At this stage the beans are soft and translucent

 The parchment depth can be increased to about 5cm
 Expose the parchment to sunlight for a period of at least 2 days of actual sunshine (about 50hrs)
· Sun light is essential in the formation of the final bluish-green colour of the bean at this stage.
Mechanical drying is not recommended

Medium black stage (20 -16% M.C)

 The beans are fairly dark and hard
 In case of congestion, temporary storage in ventilated bins is permitted
· Parchment can be dried rapidly without loss of quality and mechanical driers
can be used Hard black stage (16 -11% M.C)
 Fully hard beans and dark in colour
 Can be dried rapidly without loss of quality Conditioning (11-10.5% M.C)
 This is normally done in ventilated stores or bins to even out moisture level
· The parchment is ready for storage when it has a moisture content of 11 to 10.5%.
Use a well calibrated moisture meter to measure the moisture content in order
to avoid over or under-drying
Storage of parchment

• Store bulk coffee in well ventilated bins or on wooden floors and stir regularly
 Place coffee bags on wooden pallets 15cm from walls and floors
 The coffee store must be well ventilated and corrugated iron
sheet roof adequately insulated to minimize heat transfer
 Avoid storing coffee parchment in the same store with buni
· Avoid pro-longed storage as this leads to quality loss. Over
stored parchment becomes “woody” after six months of
normal storage in the factory
· In the event that sorting was not adequately done during
the skin drying and white stage, it is important to sort the
coffee before bagging and final delivery to the mills
Important considerations in coffee processing
 Fermentation tanks should be roofed to avoid direct sun
 Clean water can be harvested from the roofs during the rainy season and used for soaking P1 and P2
 Store the water used in final washing for pulping cherry the same day
 In cool, dull weather concentrates on drying the wettest coffee
 Nearly dry coffee (Medium black stage) can be placed in store to give space for wet coffee. Do not forget to take out this coffee when drying conditions improve
 Always wash your hands before handling the coffee
 Do not allow animals in the coffee processing area to avoid off-flavours
Factory Hygiene and maintenance
 All the factory operators, equipment and materials must be clean
 The recommended maintenance procedures e.g. painting, repair of channels and cherry hoppers should be strictly adhered to.
 Wash the pulper immediately after pulping
 Ensure no berries are left out from previous days pulping on the processing lines to avoid formation of stinkers
 Clean the stores at the beginning of the season – remove dirt and old parchment
· Do not store any chemicals or fuels in a coffee store. Coffee beans can absorb odours thus affecting quality negatively 2
Coffee waste management
 Channel the waste water to the seepage/soak pits which should be located away from water bodies
 Minimize water usage by re-circulating pulping water and using the final grading water for pulping
 Remove the sludge from the bottom and sides of the seepage pits annually
 Pulp and waste water should not be left to flow to water bodies
 The pulp should be composted and used in farms. Alternatively, the pulp can be used to produce bio-gas
Grading

Grading is the mechanical separation of clean coffee beans into different grades depending on size, shape and density. It’s done to
facilitate trade and roasting
•Kenya coffee is graded into seven categories by use of mechanically
agitated sieve graders as follows:
 E - Normally referred to as elephant grade. It is rare and only
appears in very small quantities. It is retained in screen size 21
 AA - Flat beans, retained on screen number 18 with an aperture
diameter 7.2mm
 AB - Flat beans, retained on screen number 16 with an
aperture diameter of 6.3mm
 TT: These are beans extracted from AA and AB grades by density
 PB: Pea shaped beans
 C: Small flat beans retained on screen number 10
 T: Smallest grade consisting mainly of broken fragments pass
through screen number 10
Others include
 HE: Broken hulled ears from grade E
 UG1 and UG2: ungraded coffee comes from P3 and PL coffee.
 MH & ML: from Buni hulling
Quality assessment

Coffee classification in Kenya is done through cupping (liquoring). Cupping is a method used to systematically evaluate the
aroma and the taste characteristics of coffee through taste sense (organoleptic method). This is the Devonshire method of
classification Attributes considered in quality assessment In a coffee sample, several attributes are considered in order to
determine the overall quality.
These are;
 The raw bean quality – the size of the beans, the color and the defects
 The size of bean is determined by the feeding regime
 Color ranges from bluish green to brown. It depends on geographical origin, age, processing, storage conditions and
maturity of cherry at harvest
 The quality of the roast - The type of roast, the center cut and defects present. Good quality beans have a white center cut
 The cup quality - Acidity, body, flavor, off-flavors
o Acidity - Pleasing brightness or sharpness of coffee like for lemons, limes and orange. Acidity can be intense or mild.
o Body - The sense of weight or heaviness that coffee exerts in the mouth
o Flavor - The simultaneous sensation in the palate of aroma and taste.
Good flavors include:

•Fine - coffee with distinct quality characteristics e.g. acidity body and flavor
•Pointed - fine acid sharpness
•Sweet - a nice clean soft coffee free of any harshness
•Off-flavors - defect transmitted to taste properties of flavor. This constitutes the poor cup quality as a result of poor processing and
husbandry practices.
•They include:
•Coarse - coffee lacking fineness
•Flat - lifeless coffee lacking in any acidity
•Fruity - strong overripe taste prevalent in beans left too long in the cherry
•Grassy - greenish flavor prevalent in coffee harvested when premature
•Sour - a sharp excessively acidic biting flavor
•Thin - flat lifeless coffee lacking in body or acidity
•Woody - hard wood like flavor found in old coffee which has been stored for too long.
•Onion flavor - delayed skin drying
•Potato flavour - Antestia and berry borers damaged beans
•Musty - beans stored in wet places
•Earthy - wet earth flavor- coffee that had contact with the soil
Pests & diseases
Diseases
• Coffee berry disease (CBD)
• Coffee leaf rust (CLR)
• Solai die-back
• Armillaria root rot
Pests
Leaf miner
Antenstia bug
Spider mites
Thrips
bugs
Common diseases
Coffee Berry Disease (CBD)
Predisposing factors: cool temperature (18 -21 C), High humidity
Signs

Control: Resistant varieties (Ruiru 11 & Batian), Spraying with fungicides, Open pruning
Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR)
Predisposing factors: warm temperature, High humidity
Signs

Control: Resistant varieties (Ruiru 11 & Batian), Spraying with fungicides, Open pruning