Commodities
Quality beans keep coffee prices on an upward trend
Thursday August 02 2018Coffee prices have continued on an upward trajectory since the auction resumed last month helped by inflows of quality beans.
A market report by Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) indicates a 50-kilogramme bag on average fetched Sh19,600 this week up from previous Sh17,400.
This marks the third time in a row the prices have recorded an impressive performance since the resumption from a one-month recess.
The NCE said the rally resulted from an increase in volume of quality beans from the short-term crop of eastern Kenya.
“We expect the current price to hold for a while because of the good coffee that we are getting from farmers,” said chief executive Daniel Mbithi.
The good price comes at a time the auction has been automated, a move expected to increase transparency and efficiency at the NCE.
All the stakeholders — farmers, buyers, marketing agents and government — will now obtain real-time reports from the upgraded system.
Kenya seeks to revive the once-vibrant crop with the formation of Kenya Coffee Platform, an initiative that brings value-chain players together to develop a common strategy to address issues affecting the industry.
READ: Coffee farmers to follow sale live after automation
It will facilitate dialogue via creation of an inclusive and participatory national and county coffee platform representing all coffee stakeholders with a view to doubling the current production of 40,000 tonnes a year.
The Stage will also start paying farmers part of earnings on monthly basis down from six months after the regulator begun piloting a new system.