Tanzanian coffee prices were mixed this week with most grades firming helped by higher New York prices, traders said on Friday. The Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) said 13,880 60-kg bags were offered for sale, with 13,380 sold. At the previous auction, held on February 21, 14,692, bags were offered, with 14,201 sold.
Benchmark grade AA fetched $126.00-$195.00 per 50-kg bag, compared with $107.00-$215.80 per bag at the last sale. Grade A sold at $129.00-$182.00 per bag, compared with the previous auction's $108.00-$180.80 per bag. Traders said that AA's top price eased because buyers were unwilling to pay its reserve price.
"The prices were quite high. (AA) was slightly down on the last week, and that reflects the terminal is too high for the buyers," said a trader at a leading export company.
"There's a lot of estate coffee. The qualities are quite fair for this time of the year. There's very little coffee left." Tanzania's 2007/08 crop year is coming to an end, which is reflected in a drop in quantity of being offered at the auction, and a decrease in the frequency of sales.