Coffee from a processing factory in Kirinyaga County has fetched the highest price for a single bag for the first time in five years.
A 50-killogramme bag from Kii Factory fetched Ksh 85,788.08 during an auction at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE).
The 17 bags of AA-grade coffee which were sold at Ksh 1,458,227 cumulatively cost Ksh 1,715 per kilogramme.
Kii Factory is owned by Rungeto Farmers’ Cooperative Society based at the foothills of Mt Kenya.
The highest auction price ever for a 50-kilogramme bag was Ksh 93,862 for a consignment from a processing factory in Nyeri County in 2017.
Kenya AA grade coffee
The Kenya AA coffee grade is grown at elevations higher than 6,600 feet above sea level, and they are considered to be one of the world’s best coffee beans.
The high growing altitudes means that the beans grow slower than at low altitudes, providing more nutrients and allowing them more time to develop their flavors and mature.
The arabica variety is harvested between November and December, and they have a fresh and floral aroma.
The milling process include the coffee berries being fully washed, before they are sun-dried on raised beds.
Other coffee grades grown in Kenya include Kenya E (Elephant Bean), Kenya PB (Peaberry), Kenya AB, Kenya C, Kenya TT, Kenya T and Kenya MH/ML.
