The Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) Auction conducted on Tuesday witnessed a sharp rise in coffee volume, earning farmers and estates Sh4 billion.
During the sale of 10 of the current coffee season, a total of 22,549 bags were traded at an average price of Sh51,364 per bag of 50 kilos.
According to NCE Reports, Gachatha Factory of Nyeri County attained the best price after trading 78 bags of grade AA at Sh67,278 per bag.
The 78 bags from the factory were traded by Alliance Berries Ltd and bought by C. Dormans SEZ Ltd for a total of Sh63.6 million.
The auction conducted at Wakulima House in Nairobi featured strong participation across all brokers, with Alliance Berries Ltd leading with trading 7,155 bags at Sh482 million.
Kipkelion Broker Company sold 2,807 bags at Sh174 million, and New KPCU traded 2,413 bags, earning Sh142.4 million. Kirinyaga Slopes sold 2,374 bags at Sh155.8 million, and Coffee Estate Bourgeoisie Brokers Ltd closed the top five brokers by trading 1,364 bags, netting Sh85 million.
The NCE Reports also indicated each of the 12 brokers who participated in the auction added depth to the catalogue, creating a broad mix of premium grades of AA and AB, reliable commercial coffee, and regionally diverse offerings.
In the category of buyers, five dealers dominated the market, with Ibero Kenya Ltd purchasing the highest volume of 6,589 bags at Sh410 million. C.Dormans SEZ Ltd purchased 4,307 bags at Sh. 299 million.
Louis Dreyfus Company bought 3,798 bags (Sh221 million), Taylor Winch Coffee Ltd bought 2,466 bags (Sh159 million), and Sasini K Ltd closed the best five buyers after purchasing 2,460 bags at Sh160 million.
Other active buyers who added competition across grades in the auction include Kenyacof, Sondhi Trading, Rosie Van Dyke, Global Mark Foods, Star Coffee, Rockbern, Josra, Utake, Bekas Systems, Super Gibs, and First Cup Coffee.
According to NCE Chief Executive Officer Lisper Ndungu, Sale 10 reflected rising confidence in farmer deliveries and strengthened demand from global buyers.
The CEO further noted the market is in high demand for the quality coffee; thus, the need for farmers to focus on producing high-quality coffee so as to satisfy the international markets.
by Bernard Munyao
