Updated 14 November 2026
Coffee auction prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) averaged US$296.69 per 50kg bag at Sale 5 on 3 November 2026, across 15,025 bags offered. Top-grade AA averaged US$338.15 and AB US$325.19, while peaberry (PB) averaged US$316.13. Prices in the 2026/27 season, which opened on 6 October, have held in a narrow band of about US$290 to US$316 a bag on average, with the best lots reaching US$400 or more. This guide sets out the results by grade for every sale so far, how the auction works and what the prices mean for farmers.
Updated 14 November 2026. Figures come from the NCE Market Total reports for Sales 1 to 5 of the 2026/27 season. The exchange quotes all prices in US dollars per 50kg; the shilling amount farmers receive depends on the exchange rate and deductions.
On this page
Latest coffee auction prices at a glance
| Item | Sale 5, 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Bags offered | 15,025 |
| Weight offered | 928,995 kg |
| Value | US$5,512,537.76 |
| Average price, all grades | US$296.69 per 50kg |
| AA average | US$338.15 |
| AB average | US$325.19 |
| Highest price | US$400.00 (AA) |
| Lowest price | US$48.00 (SB) |
Coffee auction prices by grade at Sale 5
| Grade | Bags | Min (US$) | Max (US$) | Average (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 2,862 | 136.00 | 400.00 | 338.15 |
| AB | 6,380 | 97.00 | 380.00 | 325.19 |
| PB | 786 | 88.00 | 364.00 | 316.13 |
| E | 8 | 303.00 | 322.00 | 307.90 |
| C | 1,985 | 80.00 | 340.00 | 289.41 |
| TT | 475 | 80.00 | 342.00 | 265.37 |
| HE | 56 | 140.00 | 280.00 | 254.80 |
| NH | 10 | 226.00 | 226.00 | 226.00 |
| UG1 | 244 | 76.00 | 295.00 | 224.13 |
| MH | 1,349 | 168.00 | 237.00 | 206.92 |
| T | 387 | 60.00 | 286.00 | 194.82 |
| UG | 24 | 113.00 | 291.00 | 186.28 |
| NL | 9 | 151.00 | 151.00 | 151.00 |
| UG2 | 158 | 60.00 | 263.00 | 103.46 |
| ML | 251 | 60.00 | 160.00 | 83.39 |
| SB | 41 | 48.00 | 52.00 | 50.01 |
AB was the biggest grade by volume, at 6,380 bags or about 42% of the offer. The wide gap between the lowest and highest AA price, US$136 against US$400, shows how much cup quality and the marketing agent’s lot matter even within one grade.
Coffee auction prices this season: Sales 1 to 5
| Sale | Date | Bags offered | Value (US$) | Average (US$ per 50kg) | Top price (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Oct 2026 | 14,448 | 5,328,252 | 297.38 | 382.00 |
| 2 | 13 Oct 2026 | 13,352 | 4,806,199 | 290.66 | 400.00 |
| 3 | 21 Oct 2026 | 14,926 | 5,804,065 | 316.21 | 405.00 |
| 4 | 27 Oct 2026 | 17,685 | 6,374,082 | 291.68 | 400.00 |
| 5 | 3 Nov 2026 | 15,025 | 5,512,538 | 296.69 | 400.00 |
Across the first five sales, 75,436 bags worth about US$27.8 million were offered. Sale 3 had the highest average, US$316.21, and the season’s top price so far, US$405 for an AB lot. Sale 4 had the biggest offer, 17,685 bags, and the average eased as volumes rose.
Main grades sale by sale (average US$ per 50kg)
| Sale | AA | AB | PB | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 343.37 | 333.60 | 323.43 | 301.95 |
| 2 | 336.25 | 322.54 | 313.42 | 300.79 |
| 3 | 355.20 | 340.49 | 337.15 | 322.60 |
| 4 | 340.83 | 324.85 | 316.16 | 295.95 |
| 5 | 338.15 | 325.19 | 316.13 | 289.41 |
AA has stayed between US$336 and US$355 on average. C grade, a smaller bean, has slipped from about US$302 to US$289 over the five sales, the steepest fall among the main grades.
How the Nairobi coffee auction works
The NCE runs weekly auctions, typically on Tuesday mornings at 09:00 on the trading floor at Wakulima House, Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi. Farmers and co-operatives deliver parchment to millers, who hull and grade the beans. Licensed marketing agents then catalogue the lots, and licensed dealers bid for them, mostly for export. Kenyan coffee is graded mainly by bean size and shape: AA is the largest screen, AB slightly smaller, PB (peaberry) is a single round bean, and C, T and TT are smaller or lighter beans. Lower grades such as ML, UG and SB carry defects and sell far cheaper.
Only licensed players can trade. Our guide on how to check a licensed coffee broker in Kenya explains the licensing side, and the Coffee Board of Kenya oversees the sector.
What coffee auction prices mean for farmers
The auction price is not what a farmer takes home. From the dollar value, the co-operative or estate pays milling, marketing and warehousing charges, and the co-operative deducts its own costs before paying members per kilo of cherry. Because cherry loses weight through pulping, drying and hulling, several kilos of cherry make one kilo of clean coffee. The exchange rate also matters: a weaker shilling raises the shilling value of the same dollar price.
To estimate value per kilo of clean coffee, divide the bag price by 50. At the Sale 5 AA average of US$338.15, that is about US$6.76 a kilo of clean coffee before costs. For a past single-sale report, see our story on a recent Nairobi coffee auction sale.
Upcoming coffee auction dates
The NCE auction calendar lists the next session on 24 November 2026, followed by 1, 8 and 15 December, then weekly Tuesday sales from 5 January 2027. Public holidays can move sessions, so confirm on the exchange’s auction page. Market Total reports are usually uploaded within a few days of each sale, and we update this page as new results come in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current coffee auction price in Kenya?
At Sale 5 on 3 November 2026, the average was US$296.69 per 50kg bag across all grades, with AA at US$338.15 and AB at US$325.19.
Which coffee grade fetches the highest price?
AA usually has the highest average. At Sale 5 it averaged US$338.15, and the best AA lots reached US$400.
When are Nairobi Coffee Exchange auctions held?
Weekly, typically on Tuesdays at 09:00 at Wakulima House in Nairobi. The calendar lists 24 November and 1, 8 and 15 December 2026 as upcoming sessions.
Why are coffee auction prices quoted in dollars?
Most Kenyan coffee is bought for export, so the exchange trades in US dollars per 50kg bag. Farmers are paid in shillings after conversion and deductions.
Where can I find official coffee auction results?
The Nairobi Coffee Exchange publishes a Market Total report for each sale on its market reports page.
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