Coffee farmers celebrated the outcome of the Best of Yemen auction organised by Qima Coffee and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE).
The 29 winning lots were purchased for an average of $62.14 per pound by over 50 companies representing 17 countries. The top price, which broke last year’s record, reached $246.50 per pound, purchased by Thailand-based Aroma Group.
The coffee belonged to first-place winner Hifthallah Alhaymi. This year’s submission was his first ever participation in any coffee auction. This is also the first time the Best of Yemen, or any Yemeni auction has had a first-place buyer from Thailand.
“We want to support the farmers and economy in Yemen and feel that Qima Coffee excels in its dedication to the farmers and to the transparency of their transactions,” says Jenny Howell Director of Coffee Sourcing & Development for George Howell Coffee.
“We find the best Yemeni coffees to be among the most unique and beautiful coffees in the world and the second winning lot, from Yusuf Alrumaim, perfectly embodies the terroir we look for in Yemeni coffee: clove, nutmeg, and dried fruits.”
The second highest price went to the fourth-place ranking lot for $121.60 per pound by Cut Hand Group and Dream High Coffee in China. A third of the buyers were also from the Middle East, signalling widespread support and appreciation of Yemeni coffee from Yemen’s neighbouring nations.
This auction was the fourth and largest instalment of the Private Collection Auction series in Yemen. With the aim of scaling and maximising the impact of the program, this year’s auction expanded beyond Qima’s farmer network and was open to participation from all coffee farmers in Yemen, with this year’s auction representing over 2,900 farmers. The national team of coffee tasters passed 43 coffees to an international team of 66 coffee cuppers from 30 companies around the world, who evaluated and selected the top 29 lots offered in the auction.
In honour of the auction theme ‘Catalysing Peace and Prosperity’ and Qima’s commitment to supporting peace and development in Yemen, it will donate 10 per cent of auction proceeds which amounted to $329,665 to the Qima Foundation to fund an upcoming development project in one of Yemen’s most conflict-stricken regions.
“We wanted this year’s auction to celebrate Yemeni coffee’s potential and ability to cross-cultural, political, and socioeconomic barriers, and act as a vehicle for peace and prosperity. And we’re very excited to see that reflected in the results,” says CEO and Founder of Qima Coffee Faris Sheibani,
For more information on the auction results, visit bestofyemenauction.com/auction-winners