Prices of coffee, tea rise at weekly auction

Kenya: The top price of Kenya's benchmark grade AA coffee rose to $402 per 50-kg bag at auction this week from $355 at the last sale, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) said on Wednesday.

The East African nation produces speciality beans used by roasters to blend with beans from other countries. Meanwhile, the maximum price of the top grade Kenyan tea, Best Broken Pekoe Ones (BP1s), rose at auction this week compared with the previous sale, Africa Tea Brokers said in a report.

Kenya is the world's leading exporter of black tea and the crop is a key foreign exchange earner for the economy.