Coffee farmers earn Sh1.3 billion at Nairobi auction

A coffee farmer sorts coffee berries in Nyeri. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Coffee auction activities increased this week at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) following the delivery of 30,162 bags of the commodity for the market.

The sale generated Sh1,312,710,189.28 ($8,991,165.68), as Kirinyaga Slopes, Alliance Berries Limited, and NKPCU deliveries dominated the auction platform.

Ndaro ini factory in Mathira, Nyeri, affiliated with Alliance Berries Limited, registered an impressive sale of a total of Sh3,278,430 after its 45 bags of grade AA fetched each Sh72,854($499) per 50 kilogrammes bags of the commodity.

Last week, farmers at the Gichatha ini coffee factory in Mathira, Nyeri, earned Sh3,654,020 after selling 42 bags of grade AA and registered as the best paid in the auction.

On Wednesday, NCE acting CEO Risper Ndung'u said in the sale, eight marketing agents participated and emerged as the first to attain more than 30,000 bags of the commodity for trading.

"The number of bags presented for auction is gradually on the rise, an indication that the market is impressive and hope in the future we are to hit the 40,000 bags mark," said Ndung'u.

NCE report indicates that Alliance delivered 4,187 bags that earned Sh193.4 million ($1,325,139.39), NKPCU 4,198 bags fetched Sh169.7 million ($1,162,778.88) while Kirinyaga Slopes 8,397 bags fetched Sh433 million ($2,966,076.38).

Coffee trading expert Henry Kinyua said the best factories in the sale include Ndaro-ini, Kangocho, Mutheka, and Gathaithi from Nyeri county.

Kinyua noted that in Kirinyaga county, the best factories are Kii, Karimikui, Mugaya, and Kiangoi, affiliated with Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society and Kaguyu from Inoi Farmers' Cooperative Society.