SEP 2, 2014 (Reuters)–DAR ES SALAAM–Tanzania expects a bumper coffee harvest in 2014-15 thanks to good rain and plantings by farmers, the regulator Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) said on Tuesday. State-run TCB said 25,693 60-kg bags were offered at the first auction of the season last week, with 25,560 bags sold.
“We expect a bumper harvest this season, with production likely to be in excess of 55,000 tonnes, which is more than the previous season,” Primus Kimaryo, director of quality and promotion at the coffee board, told Reuters. Tanzania, Africa’s fourth-biggest coffee producer, yielded around 48,690 tonnes of coffee last season, behind the
continent’s top growers – Ethiopia, Uganda and Ivory Coast.
“All the robusta coffee was sold at the first auction of the season and more than 90 percent of the arabica beans on offer were also sold,” Kimaryo said. “We have started the new season with traders showing strong demand for coffee and the prices offered to farmers for the commodity are above the terminal market.”
East African coffee is normally packed in 60-kg bags but the prices are quoted for quantities of 50 kg. The TCB said benchmark grade AA sold at $202.00-$259.00 per 50 kg at last week’s auction and fetched an average price of
$219.08 per 50 kg. Grade A fetched $198.00-$232.20 per 50 kg, with an average price of $214.55.
Prices of Tanzania’s arabica normally track the New York market while those of robusta take their cue from London. The TCB said New York markets rose by $9.03 per 50 kg, while London markets were up by $1.75 per 50 kg.
“Average prices were above the terminal market by $7.61 per 50 kg for mild arabica and robusta were above the terminal market by $16.85 per 50 kg,” the TCB said in its auction report. The auction was held last Thursday, and the TCB issued the results on Tuesday. The next auction will be held on Thursday this week.
GRADE PRICE (dollars)
OFFERED SOLD LOW HIGH AVERAGE
Arabica AA 6,886 6,886 202.00 259.00 219.08
Arabica A 4,150 4,150 198.00 232.20 214.55
Arabica AB 958 958 214.00 224.20 219.71
Arabica B 3,202 3,202 195.00 225.40 205.99
Arabica PB 1,904 1,904 201.20 235.20 218.11
Arabica C 859 726 172.00 200.00 180.30
Robusta Organic 3,296 3,296 99.60 112.60 106.01
Robusta Over 18 720 720 105.80 106.60 106.20
Robusta Superior 1,919 1,919 98.00 104.80 102.46
Robusta FAQ 1,799 1,799 95.00 101.20 98.72
http://af.reuters.com/article/tanzaniaNews/idAFL5N0R338E20140902
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My name is Maja and I’m a Danish born woman crazy beyond passionate about everything coffee. I have written about all aspects of coffee for over 25 years from 60 coffee producing countries across the world.
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