Origin updates, specialty coffee production trends, our upcoming Spring Cupping events and more. Our procurement team, Josh Coleman and Rory Rosenberg, share their key takeaways for the upcoming first half of the year. With the Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras and El Salvador coffee harvests finishing, now is the perfect time to start planning. Consider your desired volumes and reach out, coffee samples will be available soon!
Timeline
Timing is everything, especially when it comes to popular lots. This timeline gives you a reliable overview of how the coffee harvest season progresses in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Honduras and El Salvador. Knowing when coffees are harvested and shipped helps you plan, secure the lots you want, and stay informed about new, exciting coffees. Note that the exact timing can always shift slightly due to factors like weather, climate change, or unexpected port congestion.
Origins and Harvest
Across our origins, the first half of the year is showing to be a period of stronger quality and an abundance of exciting coffees. From Honduras' promising harvest to fresh varieties in El Salvador and the usual high-quality lots from Kenya and Ethiopia, here’s what to consider as you plan your buying.
El Salvador
The 2026 harvest is off to a promising start, with peak picking running from mid-January through mid- to late February. Cooler, wetter weather and occasional strong winds have created some challenges for drying and yields, but overall quality is shaping up well.
This season, we plan to increase volumes from last year. We are aiming for a washed container shipping in April and as many natural coffees as possible that reach our QC requirements. shipping in May. In addition, we’re introducing a three-variety washed blend of Batian, Geisha, and SL28, along with a small volume of naturally processed Geisha, which will be available in limited quantities.
Honduras
Harvest is running slightly late due to cooler, wetter conditions, with Intibucá micro-regions peaking from late February into early March. We expect up to one container of naturals, two 72-hour anaerobic washed lots, plus small volumes of Java and SL28 from our long-term trusted partner, the Caballeros. At Café Raga in Intibucá, the first commercial harvests of SL28 and Geisha from new plantings are coming in, and we plan to buy some of their early lots this year.
Our team will be in Honduras in March, cupping and finalizing selections as the season peaks and bringing more insights directly from our suppliers.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian harvest is progressing, and with it comes a season of exceptional coffees sourced with our local green buyer, Adham.
The harvest is running later than usual, and overall volumes are down, something we typically see every second year. Red cherry prices have risen significantly, more than doubled compared to last season. Because the best coffees are moving early at origin, SPOT availability will be more selective this year. Flexibility around grade, region, or processing will help, and staying close to our offers will be key as coffees land.
Washed coffees are expected to start arriving from February with tighter volumes than usual. Naturals are expected to follow from March onwards, but as always, timing may shift slightly depending on shipping and arrival conditions.
Kenya
The Kenya harvest peaked early this year and we are already deep into contracting and shipping coffees. The total volumes seem to be down around 10-20% for the country on average. AA availability is good, but less AB and PB lots in general. Cup quality is exceptionally high, perhaps the best it has been in 2-3 years! Prices have remained elevated throughout the season, due to strong auction demand and producers/cooperatives sending coffees to auction rather than selling direct. We have around 7 containers of great washed Kenya booked, first due to arrive in February. For those interested in larger volumes, we have a new offering of 4 great Cooperative lots from different areas (Nyeri, Murang’a, Embu and Kirinyaga),just get in touch.
Uganda
Harvest in Uganda ran on schedule, slightly ahead in some regions, and cherry deliveries are now coming to a close. Early reports indicate stable to slightly higher yields. At Ibero Uganda, a largely new team has already shown strong performance, providing timely samples, accurate information, and positive early-type evaluations.
We plan to book one container, a mix of washed and natural coffees, all from the Bulambuli region, with selections taking place in early February. Also, this harvest, Uganda continues to be an attractive option for sourcing good-quality coffee at larger volumes.
Spring Cupping 2026
If you want to learn more about this season’s harvest and get answers to questions a single article can’t cover, our Spring Cupping events are the ideal place to do it.
16th & 17th of April in Oslo
Come to our headquarters in Oslo to taste our incoming arrivals from Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Honduras and El Salvador. This event is a great opportunity for roasters to taste a wide variety of in-season coffees and make informed buying decisions on early arrivals.
This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the topics we’ve been exploring in our recent articles, learn from presentations about our origins and partners and ask questions about everything you need to plan your upcoming season. More Info & Sign Up
24th of April in London
Our team is also heading to the Victoria Arduino Showroom in London for another Spring Cupping. This is a perfect alternative for those who cannot attend our Oslo event. More Info & Sign Up
