Cup of Excellence Guatemala 2022 Auction reaches historical average price of US$ 31.59 per pound

The El Morito Productive Unit of Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, reached US$138.20 per pound in the digital auction of the Cup of Excellence (COE)- program, organized by Anacafé and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) in which 30 lots of coffees selected from among 158 samples that entered to participate in this edition were auctioned.

Since its first event in 2001, a total of 451 lots (1.1 million pounds of coffee) equivalent to US$10.1 million have been auctioned through the program, to the benefit of Guatemalan coffee producers.

With an average price of US$ 31.59 per pound, the 30 batches of Guatemalan coffee were auctioned in the International Cup of Excellence Program -COE- Guatemala 2022, an event held at the Anacafé headquarters and in compliance with all necessary institutional health protocol measures of biosecurity.

The productive units that reached the highest prices were El Morito (Jalapa) with a price of US$138.20 per pound; El Injerto I (Huehuetenango), US$111.10; Rosma (Huehuetenango), US$77.10; La Reforma yAnexos (Huehuetenango), US$61.70; La Gran Manzana (Huehuetenango), US$50.10 and El Paraxaj from Chimaltenango, US$37.60.

The coffees were evaluated by 13 national tasters, 14 international tasters and 5 observers, all of the highest level, led by Erwin Mierisch.

Buyers from international companies from traditional markets participated in the auction, including the United States and Japan, and from emerging markets such as Taiwan, Australia and Saudi Arabia, where Anacafé has worked to position Guatemalan specialty coffees, which stand out for their high quality.

In Guatemala, 98% of the coffees are grown under shade and harvested by hand, artisanally, selecting each bean and thereby achieving exceptional quality.

For some years and in response to international market trends, in addition to the “washed” processing, producers have implemented innovative processes called “Honey and Natural” that add characteristics to the cup, including a greater complexity of flavors, more sweetness and a bright acidity. In this edition, 53% of the auctioned coffees are washed (16 of the 30 coffees), 37% natural (11 of the 30 coffees) and 10% honeys (3 of the 30 coffees).