Nicaragua’s Cup of Excellence sets new record

All 25 winning lots from the Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence have sold for over $7 per pound, with the first-place coffee selling for close to $40 per pound. Prior to this, $9.58 per pound was the highest average price from the 2014 Cup of Excellence auction. Roasters from multiple countries bid for over four hours to secure a lot. Winning bidders hail from Japan, Germany, South Korea, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Australia, Norway, Russia, UK and the United States.  Lots in this auction had been cupped at least five times by the national and international jury and had scored between 86 and 91.16 points. This year saw multiple varieties including both H3 and F1 hybrids win the competition. All of the coffee lots that scored 90 points and higher are split into two lots for the auction. The top-scoring farmer entered this competition for the first time this year and was surprised to win. “I haven’t participated before, I didn’t know my coffee was this good. In fact, I always sold my coffee on the market in Jinotega,” said Ignacio Estrada Burgo, who has now received multiple times the price he would have gotten. This was the first entry into the competition for other winning farmers as well who were very happy with the results, “It is the first time that I have participated with my coffee. I am happy for my coffee and I did not expect that price,” said Roger Esaú Herrera Ortez of Buena Vista farm. Darrin Daniel, Executive Director of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence, said: “In every country that hosts a Cup of Excellence there are unexpected winners and unknown coffees that are discovered by the cuppers. The results in Nicaragua prove that Cup of Excellence is still the best program in coffee that identifies and rewards farmers for their exceptional coffees and their hard work. Nicaragua comes on the heels of a record breaking El Salvador auction.”