(NAIROBI, KENYA) – Kenyan Coffee Prices Hit Record High as Global Supply Tightens
Kenyan coffee has recorded its highest prices yet at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange and in international markets, driven by a global shortage that has pushed up prices worldwide. The strong performance has translated into higher earnings for farmers and traders across the value chain.
The Agriculture and Food Authority says Kenyan coffee sold at Sh1,025 per kilogramme, equivalent to about $7.40, in September 2025. This represented a rise of 10 per cent from Sh930 per kilogramme, or about $6.70, in August and a 62 per cent increase from Sh633 per kilogramme, or roughly $4.55, recorded in September 2024.
The price gains followed a global slump in coffee supply after production disruptions in key producing regions. Climate related challenges have reduced output in several major markets, tightening supply and lifting prices across international coffee exchanges.
At the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, the volume of coffee auctioned rose sharply during the period. In September 2025, a total of 4,452 tonnes was sold, a 73 per cent increase from 2,648 tonnes auctioned in September 2024. The average price of a 50 kilogramme bag climbed to $396.32, or about Sh51,125, compared with $245.64, or around Sh31,687, a year earlier.
Performance at the auction also improved over the quarter to September 2025. Total volumes sold during the three month period rose to 8,531 tonnes, up from 6,622 tonnes in the same quarter of 2024. The total value of coffee traded more than doubled to $63.4 million, or approximately Sh8.2 billion, from $31.4 million, or about Sh4 billion, a year earlier. The increase in value outpaced growth in volumes, signalling stronger returns for both farmers and traders.
Outside the auction system, coffee sold directly to overseas buyers also achieved higher prices. The average price per 50 kilogramme bag for direct sales rose to $443.50, or about Sh57,211, in the quarter under review, compared with $273.76, or roughly Sh35,315, in the same period a year earlier.
The Agriculture and Food Authority attributed the surge in prices to success in selling higher value coffee, accessing better paying market segments and taking advantage of improved conditions for direct international sales. Kenya has benefited from a global downturn in coffee production caused by adverse weather in several major producing countries.
While global food commodity prices began easing towards the end of last year, international financial institutions expect coffee prices to remain elevated due to continued supply constraints. This outlook is expected to support earnings from one of Kenya’s most important agricultural exports.
Major producers continue to face output challenges. Brazil, the world’s leading coffee producer, is expected to record a decline in production of between three and six per cent, while other exporters such as Colombia are also forecast to post declines linked to adverse weather. In Africa, producers including Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania have similarly benefited, with increased production fetching stronger prices in international markets.
