As autumn’s initial browns creep across Eastern and Southern African hillsides, the region’s coffee calendars mark Taste of Harvest season. This annual quality competition prizes run by AFCA invites farmers from across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Malawi to submit tiny lots of beans. Licensed Q Graders cup every entry, scoring them on the same 100-point scale used in global trade. Fewer than five percent score 80 points or above and reach the finals, so the badge “Top Harvest” quickly catches buyers’ eyes.
Autumn in East & Southern Africa means Taste of Harvest—rare lots battle for “Top Harvest” glory.
This week, winning lots moved straight to a new online marketplace online auction hosted in partnership with ITC and Bean Auction Ltd. Unlike traditional sales with silent price lists, the event built auction transparency into every click. Registered roasters in Seoul, Oslo, Toronto, and Melbourne received 150-gram samples weeks ago. They cupped, noted flavor, and then watched real-time bids pop onto their screens.
Starting prices reflected farm costs plus quality bonus. Within minutes, one Kenyan peaberry lot jumped from nine dollars to forty-eight dollars per pound, setting a new record for the region. Every bid stayed visible to rival buyers, so suspicion over hidden fees vanished.
AFCA says growers got ninety-two percent of the final price, far above the seventy percent common in conventional channels. Farmers texted field reports showing sudden spikes in farm gate returns. Mills booked extra drying tables for the next crop and exporters extended micro-lot outreach.
Traceability gained, too: lot codes carried GPS coordinates tied to farmer names posted online. Buyers started WhatsApp groups with growers, skipping old trader layers. Next cycle, rules will tighten moisture limits and add social impact scores. Observers expect even higher attendance.
