Singapore and Hungary paid the highest average price for Kenyan coffee directly sold to buyers abroad, indicating a shift to new markets.
The bulk of Kenya’s coffee is marketed through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE), even though producers have a window to sell it directly abroad.
The latest quarterly update by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows direct coffee sales for the July-September 2025/26 period were heavily concentrated in two key markets, with the United Kingdom solidifying its dominance by accounting for 67.18 percent of the sales, while Switzerland remained the second-largest buyer with a 26.41 percent share.
However, there was a shift in the quarter compared to previous years, as premium markets and new destinations showed bigger demand.
“The market portfolio evolved, depicting a strategic shift from a broader list of European and Asian buyers to new, high-value destinations like the United Arab Emirates and Russia, alongside premium-paying niche markets such as Singapore and Hungary,” AFA says in the report.
“This trend demonstrates a successful consolidation with core partners and an expansion into new markets that value quality, collectively driving the overall average price higher.”
In the quarter, Singapore topped the average price list with $560 (Sh72,242) per 50-kilogramme bag, followed by Hungary’s $523.72 (Sh67,556.69). The purchase volumes by the two markets were 1,080 and 1,785 kilogrammes respectively.
The UK remained the biggest buyer of Kenyan coffee under the direct sales window, importing 516,152 kilos and achieving a remarkable 77 per cent increase in its average price to $483.90 (Sh62,419.27) per bag.
“The direct sales channel demonstrated a positive transformation in the July-September 2025/26 period, characterised by stable total volume but a massive shift towards premiumisation and significantly higher revenue generation,” AFA said.
The total value of direct sales rose by 63 percent, increasing from $4.17 million (Sh538.018 million) to $6.82million (Sh879.916 million). This was driven by a 62 percent improvement in the overall average price, – from $273.76 (Sh35,320) to $443.50 (Sh57,220) per 50-kilogramme bag.
“August was particularly extraordinary, achieving an average price of $623.76 (Sh80,477.51),” the regular said. “This performance indicates a strategic success in selling a more valuable product mix, accessing higher-paying market segments, or capitalizing on vastly improved market conditions for direct sales.”
Data by AFA further showed that in the quarter to September 2025, the direct coffee sales were dominated by Kiambu County, which accounted for 60.48 percent of the total volume sold, generating Sh538,018,723.17 ($ 4.17 million) at a premium average price of Sh57,940.30 ($449.08) per 50kg bag.
Machakos and Murang’a counties were significant contributors, representing 12.88 percent and 9.29 percent of the total volume, respectively.
“Notably, Murang’a achieved the highest average price among all major counties at $538.81, due to its exceptional quality and market valuation of its coffee,” the regulator said.
“While counties like Kirinyaga, Narok, and Nyeri contributed smaller volumes, they maintained strong average prices above Sh46,447.20 ($360).
Overall, the performance highlights Kiambu’s pivotal role in the direct sales channel, complemented by strong premium pricing from several other regions,” it added.
