Kenya – Nairobi Coffee Exchange – Auction Report

There were 15,600 bags on offer at yesterday’s auction, of which most were confirmed as sold.
The first new crop estate coffees were available, and exporters started taking positions ahead of what promises to be a shorter crop year for the trade.
The lower crop, the perceived lack of quality coffees from other origins, and now the growing tension over Colombia’s internal supply situation are all just fuel for the fire of Kenya differentials at the moment. AA only accounted for 10% of the volume on offer, and this is what buyers need to track going forward. The expectation is that the drought experienced throughout much of 2009 has restricted the development of the bean size, and therefore demand for Kenya AA will not be met in the coming crop – unless premiums go higher.

Quality wise, we are not disappointed by the first estate coffees on offer. Most Socfinaf estates were FAQ quality, with some better cups mixed in. The next – and last auction of the year – will be held on 15th Dec. We expect around 25,000 bags to be available, as suppliers try to push out as much volume as possible before the month long Christmas break.