Twenty two Honduran coffee farmers gathered at the Instituto Hondureño del Café quality lab in San Pedro Sula last week to watch the annual online auction for their winning Cup of Excellence coffees. The interest in the auction was high, the average price per pound hitting a Honduras record of US$9.92/lb. Jorge Lanza’s top scoring coffee from the well-known Santa Barbara region received US$25.20/lb, but not far behind in either price or score sat the coffee from the farm Mira Valle, which is located in the lesser-known Francisco Morazan region. Both farmers are planning to improve conditions for their workers and improve the farm overall. “It is important that buyers know that the effort of the coffee growers to produce quality is huge and it is necessary that this effort is recognized with a good price,“ Jorge Lanza said after the auction ended. Six coffees scoring over 90 points by the International Jury were on offer, obtaining substantial premiums from Japanese, Korean and Australian buyers. Fourth place, owned Fanny Yeselia Moreno – the only women to win this year – was purchased in part by a company in Japan also owned by a woman. “We got an excellent price that we did not expect,” Moreno said in a statement. “I think women have much to show for quality in the coffee industry and I hope that next year more women are encouraged to participate in Cup Of Excellence and that a woman wins.”
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