Latest News from Kenya Coffee Regions: Coffee Bean Market Auction Sees Increased Trading Volume

Kenya Coffee Revenue Surges by 93% in February

Compared with the same period last year, Kenya's coffee revenue grew by 93% at the end of February this year, driven by favorable prices, high sales volumes, and a weak shilling that boosted export volumes.

A market report from the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) shows that coffee beans generated 8.7 billion shillings in revenue for Kenya in February, up from 4.5 billion shillings in the same period last year. That represents a 67% increase over the 5.2 billion shillings generated in January this year, suggesting farmers can expect significant income growth this year if the trend continues.

In February 2021, Kenya's coffee trading volume reached 218,928 bags (50kg per bag), a 13.3% increase from 193,215 bags in the same period last year. By the end of February, the average price per bag of Kenyan coffee beans had also risen 55%, from 20,900 shillings in the same period last year to 32,560 shillings.

Daniel Mbithi, CEO of the NCE, stated that the significant revenue increase was due to high market demand for Kenyan coffee and higher auction volumes. Demand for Kenyan coffee is currently very strong, especially for high-quality washed coffee beans.

Commodity prices have also been boosted by rising prices at the New York Coffee Exchange, which plays an important role in determining the value of Kenyan crops. Prices at the New York exchange have risen from lows of less than 90 cents per pound the previous season to highs of around 135 cents per pound.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Washed processing is a traditional method that uses water to handle the coffee fruit. It usually involves flotation, removing the pulp, fermenting the beans in tanks to break down the mucilage, washing or soaking further, drying, and finally hulling to produce the beans we brew. Because washed beans spend a long time in water, chemical changes inside the bean consume much of their monosaccharides, fructose and glucose, so the coffee ends up lower in sugar and higher in various organic acids. Washed coffee therefore tends to retain more of the bean's own aroma while showing bright fruit acidity and a clean, fresh character.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedingding Cooperative is an excellent representative. Many people know Yirgacheffe but not that local farmers, working at a small scale, send their cherries to a cooperative for centralized processing; the Gedingding Cooperative is a skilled team from Gedingding village whose especially refined, clean coffee earned it recognition. Thanks to the washed process, it shows jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity to the fullest, and after a medium-light roast it takes on green tea and honey notes, suiting pour-over, cold brew, and espresso alike.

Mention washed processing and FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato is one of the best-known examples, since Kenya is particularly skilled at the double washed process, running the beans through a second wash. Repeated rinsing and soaking bring out a juice-like cup with rich notes of cherry tomato, smoked plum, pear, black plum, and brown sugar, sweet-tart and juicy, and a favorite among coffee enthusiasts.

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is another good example. Jamaica, one of the world's best-known coffee countries, suffers from limited sunshine; its island climate means shorter daylight hours than other origins, so washed processing was developed to reduce the risk of the beans spoiling. The key difference from natural processing is that the skin, pulp, and mucilage are removed before drying, reducing the water trapped around the bean and shortening drying time, producing beans with a bright color and a low defect rate. Washed processing keeps Blue Mountain's aroma rich and pure, with notes of hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel, and a flavor in which no single element stands out or falls short.