Coffee traded at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) netted Sh397 million from 9,826 bags presented in the auction by nine brokers.
The amount went up by about Sh20 million as compared to last week’s sale where farmers allied to various cooperative societies and estates earned Sh370 million.
In the auction, New KPCU led other brokers by presenting the highest volume of bags where the union sold 3,457 bags at Sh140.13 million.
Alliance Berries Ltd sold 2,446 bags at Sh103.7 million followed by Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company which traded 978 bags at Sh39.29 million.
Other brokers who participated in the auction included Meru County Coffee Marketing Agency, United Eastern coffee marketing ltd, Kipkelion Company, KCCE marketing agency and Murang’a Coffee Dealers Company.
Premier coffee grades of AA and AB accounted for 5,791 bags, representing 59 percent of the total volume traded.
Munani Coffee Factory which is affiliated to Mikumbune Cooperative Society of Meru attained the best price where it traded its six bags of grade AA at Sh42, 054 per bag.
Silwet Coffee Estate attained the second best price of Sh41, 667 per bag of grade AA. The Coffee Estate sold its coffee through New KPCU.
Fourteen international and local buyers participated in the auction with Louis Dreyfus Company purchasing the highest volume of 1,918 bags at Sh. 73.67 million.
Ibero Kenya Ltd bought 1,811 bags at Sh61.6 million while C. Dorman Ltd purchased 1,312 bags at Sh56.6 million.
BEKAS Systems Ltd made the smallest purchase, acquiring 3 bags equivalent to 243 kilos of grade AB at Sh11,339 from Mwanga coffee factory.
Various stakeholders in the coffee sector have been calling farmers to focus on production of quality coffee which fetches better prices especially from international buyers.
NCE Chief Executive Officer Lisper Ndung’u has been challenging leaders of various cooperative societies to help farmers boost the quality of coffee they produce.
Last month, the government started distribution of subsidized NPK fertilizer to coffee farmers with the aim of boosting production.
Kenya Coffee Producers Association (KCPA) Chairman Peter Gikonyo has called upon the government to hasten distribution of subsided fertilizers so as to enable the farmers to increase coffee production.
Gikonyo, speaking to KNA on phone, said the fertilizer which retailed at Sh2, 500 per sack of 50 kilos will also help farmers boost the quality of coffee.
He underscored the need for training to farmers saying the association has been conducting training that has enabled farmers to produce best coffee grades which are in high demand in the market.
“A study by the association has established that growers who attend the coffee farmers training forums produce high quality grades that attract the local and international buyers,” said Gikonyo.
By Bernard Munyao
