Colombian Coffee Farmers Awarded with All Time High Prices
The high quality of Colombian coffee in the international market has been confirmed with the results following the Colombia Cup of Excellence auction. The 25 lots were sold at an average price per pound of $30.79, setting not only a record for Colombia Cup of Excellence but also for the entire Cup of Excellence program. The previous average price per pound high for Colombia was $19.49/lb set in 2020. The previous Cup of Excellence average price per pound high was $28.44/lb set in the 2020 Ethiopia Cup of Excellence auction. A total of 113 specialized buyers from around the world competed for more than 5 hours to purchase the best lots. The total revenue for the 25 lots auctioned were $541,813.24.
The washed Gesha from Pablo Andrés Guerrero Pérez’s farm “Obraje” located in Buesaco, Nariño, was auctioned at an incredible record high price of $135.10/lb, beating the previous record of $70 set in 2020. Thai company K.V.N. Import Export (1991) Co.,Ltd not only purchased this lot but also the second half of Pablo’s 1st place, Presidential Award winning, 90.61 scoring lot for $122.10.
“We are excited and pleasantly surprised by this price that almost doubled the result of last year. We worked to refine the process of our coffee for the contest, but we never expected to reach such a high price,” said Pablo Andrés Guerrero Pérez referring to the $70/lb obtained by Felipe Henao in 2020.
“Last year we opened a (Hario) cafe and this year we plan to open two bigger cafes of Hario Cafe; so we’ll have this coffee for the grand openings,” said Kittima Paisarncharoen, Production Manager of K.V.N. Import Export (1991) Co.,Ltd. The group will also use the coffee for other distribution in Thailand.
In this 18th Colombian edition of the most prestigious coffee quality contest in the world, 156 coffees were evaluated using a strict protocol involving three stages of cupping with 7 national cuppers and 14 international cuppers from 7 countries. They chose the best coffees from the November to March harvest.
In addition to a slowing world economy, Colombian coffee farmers have faced many challenges this year not only with COVID 19 but also political turmoil. Auction results help confirm the demand for high quality coffee, signaling a more promising future of steady income for Colombian coffee farmers which ultimately supports sustainability in the country.
Cup of Excellence in partnership with the Colombian Association for Coffee Excellence (ASECC) promotes the production and consumption of specialty coffees nationally and internationally while highlighting the industriousness and effort of Colombian coffee growers to produce high quality coffee. All coffee farmers in the country with lots of coffee processed via washed, honey, natural or anaerobic processes are able to participate in the contest. The 2022 version will take place in the fall to allow the participation of the areas that have their harvest from Spring to Summer. For more information on the winning coffees and details on the auction results please follow the link: https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/colombia-2021/
About Alliance for Coffee Excellence & Cup of Excellence®
Alliance for Coffee Excellence is a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing excellence in coffee. Helping to determine some of the world’s best coffees, the Cup of Excellence is a program that gives out the most prestigious award in coffee and has improved the lives of thousands of farmers. The program’s unmatched focus on quality discovery, farmer premiums and transparency has changed the specialty coffee industry. For more information about membership and to register for samples and auctions please visit allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org. For information about the Cup of Excellence program and winning producers, please visit cupofexcellence.org.
About the Colombian Association for Coffee Excellence
The Colombian Association for Coffee Excellence – ASECC is a non-profit organization made up of all members of the coffee production chain in Colombia, whose objective is to transmit the coffee culture and promote the production and consumption of excellent coffees, both locally and abroad, among professionals and consumers. ASECC is the organization in charge of developing the Cup of Excellence Contest in Colombia, the most prestigious quality coffee contest in the world. More information on our web pages http://www.asecc.co and http://tazadeexcelenciacolombia.com.
