El Salvador Coffee News: Today's Cup of Excellence® Internet Auction Showcases Women Growers

International Buyers Pay Total of $291,000 for Country's Finest Green Beans

(CSRwire) TechnoServe/U.S. -- The arabica coffee grown by Lya de Castaneda, Alicia Cristina Alabi De Schuck, and Maria Antonieta Dominguez De Arnesen captured three of the top four price-paid-per-pound spots in today's 2004 Cup of Excellence® Internet Auction in El Salvador, its second annual countrywide coffee quality competition, held in San Salvador.

Ms. de Castandea's coffee was the day's top price/pound winner, earning $6.89/pound for 20 bags of green beans (at 69 kilograms each) for a total of $20,670 from bidder Taylor of Harrogate. Ms. De Schuck's coffee captured second place, earning $6.70/pound for 22 bags and a total of $22,110 from buyer Stumptown. And Ms. De Arnesen's coffee was 4th place, earning $4.80/pound for 15 bags and a total of $10,800 from buyer Times Club Inc.

The green beans grown by 35 Salvadoran coffee growers, all chosen on May 14 as winners of the 2004 Cup of Excellence®, were offered for sale today to 83 registered international buyers. During the 4-hour auction, buyers purchased all 880 bags of coffee offered, spending a total of $291,277. The average price paid was $2.44/pound, or almost three times more than the recent average New York market price of arabica beans.* (For a complete list of coffee growers, buyers, and prices paid, visit: http://www.cupofexcellence.org/haauctions.aspx)

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