Kenya Coffee
Value Chain
From farm to cup — seasons, activities, market pricing, and trade intelligence for Kenya's specialty coffee.
Selective pruning removes dead wood and shapes trees for optimal light penetration. Stumping (cutting back to ground level) rejuvenates old trees every 4–5 years.
- Use clean, sharp tools to avoid disease
- Apply wound sealant after cuts
- Remove suckers regularly
CAN (Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) applied at flowering and fruit development stages. DAP at planting and early growth. Foliar feeds supplement macro-nutrients.
- Split applications reduce leaching
- Soil test before each season
- Bio-fertilizer improves soil health
Three primary threats: Coffee Berry Borer (CBB), Coffee Leaf Rust, and Antestia Bug. Integrated pest management reduces chemical dependency.
- CBB: Beauveria bassiana biological control
- Leaf rust: copper-based fungicide sprays
- Antestia: pyrethroid applications
Selective hand-picking of only red ripe cherries. Multiple passes (rounds) over each tree as cherries ripen at different rates. Sorting removes defects at factory gate.
- Avoid green or overripe cherry
- Deliver same day to wet mill
- Weigh and record at factory
Pulping removes the cherry skin. Fermentation (18–36 hours) breaks down mucilage. Grading channels separate densities. Raised bed drying takes 2–6 weeks.
- Clean water critical at every stage
- Monitor fermentation time closely
- Target 11–12% moisture for parchment
Hulling removes parchment skin. Density separators, screens, and colour sorters produce the final grades: AA (screen 18+), AB (15–16), PB (peaberry), C, TT, E.
- Outturn ratio: ~20% green from cherry
- Each grade separately bagged (60kg)
- Lot numbers assigned for auction
From cherry delivery to auction, the cooperative owns the coffee on behalf of its members. At NCE, title transfers to the exporter upon auction and DSS payment. The cooperative receives proceeds minus milling and marketing fees.
Marketing agents (like Empreus) hold a CBK/Coffee Board license. They prepare lots, liaise with dry millers, submit samples to NCE, receive bids from brokers, and manage Direct Settlement System (DSS) proceeds back to cooperatives.
FOB Mombasa — most common for Kenyan exports. Risk transfers at port. CIF — cost, insurance, freight to destination. EXW — ex-warehouse at dry mill. Buyers increasingly prefer FOB or DAP.
| Grade | Screen Size | Description | Indicative USD/kg | NCE Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 18+ | Premium large bean, top specialty | $6.50 – $9.00 | +30 to +80 USc/lb above C |
| AB | 15–16 | Standard export grade, good quality | $5.50 – $7.50 | +15 to +40 USc/lb above C |
| PB | Peaberry | Single rounded bean, high sweetness | $5.00 – $7.00 | +10 to +30 USc/lb above C |
| C | 14–15 | Lower screen, commercial grade | $4.00 – $5.50 | At or near C price |
| TT | Light beans | Light density, separated from AA/AB | $3.50 – $5.00 | Slight discount to C |
| E | Elephant | Large fused beans, rare | $4.50 – $6.00 | Variable |
| MH/ML | Mixed | Mbuni (unsorted), lowest quality | $2.50 – $3.50 | Discount to C |
* Indicative prices only. Actual NCE prices vary by season, crop quality, and global market conditions.
The ICE "C" contract is the global benchmark for Arabica coffee, traded on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in New York. It represents 37,500 lbs of washed Arabica coffee and is quoted in US cents per pound (USc/lb).
Example: A price of 270.72 USc/lb means $2.7072 per pound of coffee.
A differential is the premium or discount applied on top of the ICE C price to arrive at the actual traded price for a specific origin and grade.
Kenya AA commands a significant positive differential due to its cup quality. Example: ICE C at 270 + differential of +50 = 320 USc/lb effective price for Kenya AA.
ICE C is quoted in USc/lb. To use this in Kenya, you need to convert:
- USc/lb ÷ 100 = USD/lb
- USD/lb ÷ 0.453592 = USD/kg
- USD/kg × 1000 = USD/MT
- USD/kg × KES rate = KES/kg
- KES/kg × 60 = KES/60kg bag
| Grade | Differential Range |
| AA | +30 to +80 USc/lb |
| AB | +15 to +40 USc/lb |
| PB | +10 to +30 USc/lb |
| C | 0 to +10 USc/lb |
| TT | -5 to +5 USc/lb |
Inputs
Results
Kenya Coffee
Value Chain
From farm to cup — seasons, activities, market pricing, and trade intelligence for Kenya's specialty coffee.
Selective pruning removes dead wood and shapes trees for optimal light penetration. Stumping (cutting back to ground level) rejuvenates old trees every 4–5 years.
- Use clean, sharp tools to avoid disease
- Apply wound sealant after cuts
- Remove suckers regularly
CAN (Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) applied at flowering and fruit development stages. DAP at planting and early growth. Foliar feeds supplement macro-nutrients.
- Split applications reduce leaching
- Soil test before each season
- Bio-fertilizer improves soil health
Three primary threats: Coffee Berry Borer (CBB), Coffee Leaf Rust, and Antestia Bug. Integrated pest management reduces chemical dependency.
- CBB: Beauveria bassiana biological control
- Leaf rust: copper-based fungicide sprays
- Antestia: pyrethroid applications
Selective hand-picking of only red ripe cherries. Multiple passes (rounds) over each tree as cherries ripen at different rates. Sorting removes defects at factory gate.
- Avoid green or overripe cherry
- Deliver same day to wet mill
- Weigh and record at factory
Pulping removes the cherry skin. Fermentation (18–36 hours) breaks down mucilage. Grading channels separate densities. Raised bed drying takes 2–6 weeks.
- Clean water critical at every stage
- Monitor fermentation time closely
- Target 11–12% moisture for parchment
Hulling removes parchment skin. Density separators, screens, and colour sorters produce the final grades: AA (screen 18+), AB (15–16), PB (peaberry), C, TT, E.
- Outturn ratio: ~20% green from cherry
- Each grade separately bagged (60kg)
- Lot numbers assigned for auction
From cherry delivery to auction, the cooperative owns the coffee on behalf of its members. At NCE, title transfers to the exporter upon auction and DSS payment. The cooperative receives proceeds minus milling and marketing fees.
Marketing agents (like Empreus) hold a CBK/Coffee Board license. They prepare lots, liaise with dry millers, submit samples to NCE, receive bids from brokers, and manage Direct Settlement System (DSS) proceeds back to cooperatives.
FOB Mombasa — most common for Kenyan exports. Risk transfers at port. CIF — cost, insurance, freight to destination. EXW — ex-warehouse at dry mill. Buyers increasingly prefer FOB or DAP.
| Grade | Screen Size | Description | Indicative USD/kg | NCE Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 18+ | Premium large bean, top specialty | $6.50 – $9.00 | +30 to +80 USc/lb above C |
| AB | 15–16 | Standard export grade, good quality | $5.50 – $7.50 | +15 to +40 USc/lb above C |
| PB | Peaberry | Single rounded bean, high sweetness | $5.00 – $7.00 | +10 to +30 USc/lb above C |
| C | 14–15 | Lower screen, commercial grade | $4.00 – $5.50 | At or near C price |
| TT | Light beans | Light density, separated from AA/AB | $3.50 – $5.00 | Slight discount to C |
| E | Elephant | Large fused beans, rare | $4.50 – $6.00 | Variable |
| MH/ML | Mixed | Mbuni (unsorted), lowest quality | $2.50 – $3.50 | Discount to C |
* Indicative prices only. Actual NCE prices vary by season, crop quality, and global market conditions.
The ICE "C" contract is the global benchmark for Arabica coffee, traded on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in New York. It represents 37,500 lbs of washed Arabica coffee and is quoted in US cents per pound (USc/lb).
Example: A price of 270.72 USc/lb means $2.7072 per pound of coffee.
A differential is the premium or discount applied on top of the ICE C price to arrive at the actual traded price for a specific origin and grade.
Kenya AA commands a significant positive differential due to its cup quality. Example: ICE C at 270 + differential of +50 = 320 USc/lb effective price for Kenya AA.
ICE C is quoted in USc/lb. To use this in Kenya, you need to convert:
- USc/lb ÷ 100 = USD/lb
- USD/lb ÷ 0.453592 = USD/kg
- USD/kg × 1000 = USD/MT
- USD/kg × KES rate = KES/kg
- KES/kg × 60 = KES/60kg bag
| Grade | Differential Range |
| AA | +30 to +80 USc/lb |
| AB | +15 to +40 USc/lb |
| PB | +10 to +30 USc/lb |
| C | 0 to +10 USc/lb |
| TT | -5 to +5 USc/lb |