By Henry Kinyua
A total of 13,786 bags (855,955 kg) of coffee were traded at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange during Sale 6, generating a market value of USD 6.86 million (Ksh 886 million).
The average price stood at USD 401 per 50 kg bag, equivalent to Ksh 159 per kg of cherry. The highest price recorded was USD 523 for 33 bags of Grade AA from the KII Factory, which is part of Rung’eto FCS in Kirinyaga County. Two other lots also surpassed the USD 500 mark: 67 bags of AA from the KAROGOTO Factory under Tekangu FCS in Nyeri County fetched USD 516 per bag, and another lot of 35 Bags came from the Gakuyu-ini Factory under Thirikwa FCS in Kirinyaga County, fetching USD 510 per bag.
Among the brokers, Alliance Berries led with 3,436 bags at an average of USD 422, followed by New KPCU PLC with 3,026 bags (USD 388), Kipkelion Broker Company with 1,391 bags (USD 407), Kirinyaga Slopes with 1,196 bags (USD 379), and United Eastern with 918 bags (USD 389). Other participants included CEBBA (886 bags at USD 381), Mt. Elgon (609 bags at USD 407), Minnesota Marketers (607 bags at USD 393), KCCEMA (520 bags at USD 410), Kinya Coffee (504 bags at USD 392), Murang’a Union (513 bags at USD 434), Kiambu Coffee Marketing Ltd (104 bags at USD 378), and Bungoma (76 bags at USD 420).
On the buying side, C. Dormans SEZ Ltd was the top purchaser with 3,319 bags (26.2% of the total volume) valued at USD 1.82 million. It was followed by Kenyacof Ltd with 2,989 bags (21.7%, USD 1.48 million), Louis Dreyfus Company with 2,327 bags (16.9%, USD 1.09 million), Ibero Kenya Ltd with 1,960 bags (14.2%, USD 0.97 million), and Taylor Winch Coffee Ltd with 1,360 bags (9.9%, USD 0.68 million). Together, these five buyers accounted for approximately 89% of the total market value.
By grade, AA and AB led sales, accounting for 36.36% and 35.31% of the volume, respectively. These were followed by C grade (8.98%), PB (5.71%), and other grades, including TT, T, E, and unwashed coffees such as MH, ML, NH, and NL, which made up the remaining 14%. Over 70% of the traded coffee comprised premium AA and AB grades.
