The Best of Rwanda 2024 coffee auction, organised by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and hosted by digital coffee-supply chain company M-Cultivo, brought in high prices for Rwandan coffee famers.
Nineteen coffees were included in the auction, with an average price per pound of US$11.42 for all lots and a total auction value of US$165,544. The auction’s top-selling coffee was from Nova Coffee Washing Station in Gicumbi, sold for US$32.60 per pound to international coffee organisation Greenway Coffee Company.
“I am truly honoured that my coffee received the highest bid,” says Agnes Mukamushinja of Nova Coffee.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication we put into producing quality coffee. This recognition will enable me to invest in coffee farming activities, ensuring even higher quality coffee in the future and improving my community’s livelihood through coffee.”
The auction’s coffees were selected by domestic and international juries through several rounds of tasting competitions earlier in the year. An awards ceremony held in July crowned Nova Coffee Washing Station as the winner, with its anaerobic natural Red Bourbon coffee scoring 91.86.
M-Cultivo CEO David Paprelli praised the auction for giving local coffee producers recognition.
“We’re thrilled to see so much international attention focused on the fantastic coffees produced with Rwanda,” says Paprelli.
“Our mission at M-Cultivo is to support coffee producers as they grow their businesses and we’re excited to be able to that in Rwanda alongside aligned partners.”
The auction was a collaborative effort between the NAEB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a Japanese government agency that assists social and economic growth in developing nations.
JICA has been implementing the Coffee Upgrade & Promotion Project Phase 2 (CUP2) project with NAEB since 2021, with CUP2 playing a part in the rollout of the online auction.
In a statement, NAEB management recognised the auction’s ability to support and empower those involved in coffee production: “Each bid is not only a recognition of the best Rwanda coffee but directly contributes to the well-being of the farmers. Today’s achievement is a reminder of the potential we hold when we work together as the actors of the coffee value chain; producers, exporters and consumers; driving quality and sustainability”.
