Coffee set to fetch higher prices after branding deal

Story by DAVID MUGONYI in London
Publication Date: 5/26/2008

Coffee from Kenya will now attract higher prices following the signing of regulations governing the sector in London Sunday.

The regulations signed under the International Coffee Agreement will allow coffee from the country to be branded thereby fetching it higher prices.

The country’s coffee is among the best in quality in the world and is used to blend others. This is the first time Kenya will be branding its coffee.

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Kenya: Organisation Formed to Sell Specialty Coffee in America

Business Daily (Nairobi)

Posted to the web 31 January 2008

Solomon Mburu

A marketing body has been formed to help sell locally-produced specialty coffee in America.

The Specialty Coffee Association of Kenya will market high quality Kenyan coffee in the US, which is one of the fastest growing markets for local produce.

"We expect to sell more high quality coffee in the US with better returns to the farmers," said Mr Peter Mugambi who is in charge of marketing at the Coffee Board of Kenya.

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Kenya 07/08 coffee crop could be 30 pct lower

By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Coffee berry disease will cut Kenya's coffee harvest in the 2007/08 crop year by 20 to 30 percent, based on internal forecasts, the Coffee Board of Kenya said on Tuesday.
"Initially we had projected a slightly higher output, something to do with 53,000-54,000 metric tonnes. So far I am looking at something between a 20 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent drop, and that is quite substantial," Bernard Gichovi, a senior board member of the Coffee Board of Kenya, told Reuters in an interview.

"The weather changed so much towards the end of the (06/07) season ... and that brought a severe CBD (coffee berry disease) attack that drastically reduced the crop we expected to realise this year."

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Kenya: Coffee Farmers to Access U.S. Market Under Fair-Trade Deal

Business Daily (Nairobi)
Zeddy Sambu

Small scale coffee farmers now have a window to sell coffee directly to the United States under the 'ethically produced' label.

Buyers advocating for Fair Trade agricultural practices in developing countries are competing for such flavour, offering a premium for every kilogramme sold through stores managed by Flavia.

Flavia, the pioneers of single-serve, brew-by-pack beverage systems, have just announced the addition of Kenya's sustainable coffee to its selection of over 30 drinks.

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Kenya: Coffee Bags Turn Out to Be Sand After All

The Nation (Nairobi)
2 November 2007

Amina Kibirige
Nairobi

A consignment of coffee destined for US has turned out to be no more than sand.

The consignment from Uganda was discovered after it reached Mombasa.

Sift Track Transporting Company had been contracted to move the three containers of 21 tonnes each from Kampala to Mombasa to be exported to United States. But when the containers reached Mombasa on board three trucks, the management sought to verify the contents, only to discover that the containers were stuffed with bags full of sand.

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Kenya: Coffee Auction Prices Hit New High

Business Daily (Nairobi)

2 October 2007

Allan Odhiambo

Prices at the coffee weekly auction reached yet another high yesterday, extending a record-breaking streak witnessed in the last four consecutive weeks.

Riding on the laurels of constrained quality offer supplies and speculation in key international markets , the average price of the commodity at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) hit a mark of $141.30 (Sh9,749.70) per 50kg bag amid indications that a similar fate could be in the offing come the next sale because the currently supply situation is unlikely to change much, at least in the short term.

It is important to note that the dollar is the preferred denomination among coffee traders and they use it in all dealings.

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Kenya: Scramble for Quality Drives Coffee Price Rally

Business Daily (Nairobi)

18 September 2007
Posted to the web 19 September 2007

Allan Odhiambo
Nairobi

Coffee prices hit a record high this year during yesterday's trading at the weekly auction at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE), triggered by a scramble for the few available quality offers and steady prices in the international market.

Taking a cue from a record rally during last week's sale, the price of a 50kg bag of coffee hit $129.82 mark (Sh9,087, an improvement of about US$2 (Sh140) over the previous sale where prices broke a seven-month barrier.

Market analysts said a scramble for the few available quality offers and steadier prices in key international markets triggered yesterday's rally.

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