The Mountain Journal
Kenya’s coffee has earned growers Sh 345 million after the auction of 6,622 bags of coffee at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE).
The trading resumed on Wednesday after two months recess where the early crop from Cooperative societies in the counties of Meru and Machakos dominated the auction.
The NCE report indicated that nine coffee brokers participated at the auction, with offer of 516 bags of grade AA, grade AB 2,941 bags and grade C 1,359 bags.
The report further explained that the New KPCU led the pack and dominated the auction with 2,242 bags from Meru and Embu cooperative societies.
In the category of the prices at the auction, the Nyeri based Kieni factory achieved the highest price of Sh 55,323.28 per 50 kgs bag, followed by Kiiriangoro factory from Murang’a County at Sh 54,935.50 per 50 kgs bag, both marketed by the Alliance Berries Limited.
NCE CEO Lisper Ndung’u said in the sale 17 buyers took part where five bought 84 percent of the coffee offered by the brokers led by Ibero with 1,569 bags.
C- Dormans 1,478 bags, Louis Dreyfus 1,394 bags, Taylor Winch 562 bags, Global Mark Foods 577 bags among others.
“ We are calling upon the farmers to continue increasing coffee production as the auction provides them with a competitive market,” she said.
The coffee value chain expert Henry Kinyua said in the period between October last year and May this year 591,695 bags had been sold to the exporters through the NCE, fetching 31.6 billion.
“ We need to redouble the sales for the interest of our farmers as the cash crop has attracted more consumers internationally,” said Mr Kinyua.
