The Singapore (Micro-Lot) Specialty Coffee Auction has attracted 45 producers and 56 lots of specialty grade coffee from 12 countries. Organised virtually by the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA), in partnership with Food&HotelAsia (FHA), the event is on October 1, 2020. All producers are first-timers from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar, Panama, Peru, Timor Leste, Venezuela and Zambia.
Victor Mah, president, Singapore Coffee Association, said: "An estimated 200 bidders from around Asia and the Middle East are expected to turn up at this virtual coffee auction."
According to FHA, many specialty coffee producers, selling their beans through traders have been the legacy practice. However, the pandemic, which caused travel and social restrictions worldwide, has disrupted supply chains and turned coffee trading sluggish. Staging a virtual coffee auction helps to mitigate trade and supply challenges by allowing buyers to source directly from the origin. It will also enable coffee producers to establish a presence in the Asian market.
Part of the 56 lots of specialty grade coffee beans will include the rare and premium Panamanian Geisha from Panamanian producers — Café Don Benjie and Cafelino S.A. The world's most expensive coffee beans, the Geisha beans were sold at US$1,029 for a pound in 2019. Grown in the highland areas of Panama, the Geisha beans undergo a meticulous process, from hand-picking of the ripe cherries to processing the beans.
Stefan Muller, managing director, Cafe Don Benjie, producer of Panamanian Geisha, said: "I am very pleased to be participating in this first-ever virtual coffee auction organised by the Singapore Coffee Association. I am sure that the auction will be an event of great success because of its extraordinary organisation. It is an honour to be able to present our best Panama Geisha Coffee to the Asia Pacific market."
An exclusive webinar organised by the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF), "Effects of Climate Change on Coffee Production in ASEAN" will be held before the auction on the same day. Led by ACF, the webinar will feature a panel of industry gurus who will shed light on the impact of the ever-changing climate on coffee farming in Southeast Asia. (Image from Unsplash)
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