Kenya coffee auction sales reach Sh41 billion as growers look to next season

Coffee from Kenyan cooperative societies and estates generated Sh41 billion at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange in 2025/2026, up from Sh35.6 billion a year earlier, according to The Standard Kenya Business (direct). The higher total came alongside an increase in the number of bags sold. For growers supplying the auction, the next question is whether the following coffee year will bring the better prices anticipated by the Coffee Board of Kenya.

The exchange reported auctioning 47 million kilogrammes of coffee during the season running from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. Eighteen brokers took part in selling the crop supplied by farmers through cooperative societies and estates. These brokers market coffee at the exchange, providing the link between the growers’ supplies and the auction where the sales take place.

The reported bag count reached 770,034, compared with 673,844 in 2024/2025. Both the value of sales and the number of bags therefore moved higher over the year. The Sh41 billion figure represents coffee auction sales; the report does not provide a breakdown of farmers’ costs or their final net income. That distinction matters when reading the headline total as a measure of the season’s financial outcome for growers.

Two brokers lead the sales table

Alliance Berries Limited ranked first among the participating brokers, selling 222,329 bags. The Standard put its share at 29 per cent. New KPCU followed with 137,284 bags and a reported share of 18 per cent. The figures place the two firms at the top of the broker rankings in a season that drew coffee from both cooperative societies and estates.

Other brokers also handled substantial quantities. Kipkelion marketed 58,356 bags, CEBBA traded 40,789 bags and Minnesota sold 30,405 bags. The report also identified Meru, Mt Elgon and Murang’a among county growers’ cooperative unions that performed well. Their respective volumes were 21,786 bags, 15,334 bags and 12,476 bags, showing the participation of county-level grower organisations alongside the leading brokers.

Growers await the next price test

Coffee Board of Kenya chairman Henry Kinyua praised growers for their commitment to producing quality coffee during the year. Looking ahead, he said the board expected improved prices in 2026/2027 and urged farmers to follow established farming practices. His remarks paired the prospect of better returns with a message to growers about how they cultivate their crop.

Coffee Board of Kenya chairman Henry Kinyua said he expected better prices in 2026/2027 and encouraged farmers to follow established farming practices.

The next season’s prices remain an expectation rather than a reported result. For now, the exchange’s figures show a larger auction total and more bags sold than in 2024/2025. What comes next is the test of Kinyua’s outlook: whether the 2026/2027 coffee year delivers the price improvement he anticipates for growers.