The auction at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) on Tuesday witnessed reduced volume as harvest season comes to an end in some parts of coffee-growing regions.
A total of 10,190 bags weighing 630,686 kilograms were traded at the auction at an average price of Sh41, 391 per 50-kilo bag.
According to the NCE report, the highest price recorded was Sh61, 114 per 50kg bag for grade AA coffee from Kamoini Factory which is part of Othaya Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Nyeri County.
Premium coffee grades of AA and AB performed well, with about 3.7 percent of bags fetching prices above Sh51, 901.5 per bag.
The auction of 27 of the current coffee year featured a diverse range of grades with varying volumes.
Grade MH (Medium Hard) was the most traded grade, representing approximately 30 percent of the total volume, followed by grades ML (Medium Light), AB, and AA, which collectively represented significant portions of the trading volume.
Lower grades such as T (Triage), UG1, UG2, and C were also traded in notable quantities.
According to NCE Chief Executive Officer Lisper Ndung’u, the distribution of coffee grades showed a typical pattern for Kenyan coffee auctions, with processing characteristics and bean size being key determinants of grade and subsequent pricing.
In the category of brokers, Alliance Berries Limited was the most active broker with 3,894 bags traded at an average price of Sh37,888 per bag, followed by KCCE Marketing Agency Limited with 2,004 bags.
Other significant market participants included Minnesota Coffee Marketers Limited with 952 bags, Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage which traded 803 bags, New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU), which auctioned 1,706 bags and Kipkelion Broker Company Limited, which sold 547 bags.
Each broker represented different producers and coffee estates, contributing to the diversity of coffee profiles available at the auction.
In the sale, 18 international and local buyers participated, with Ibero Kenya Limited purchasing the highest volume of 4,620 bags. Louis Drefus Company bought 1,770 while Kenyacof Limited, 1,144 and C.Dormain Limited trading 1, 010 bags.
Some coffee growing regions are expected to start harvesting cherry from the end of this month with high expectations of increased volumes in the auction.
