Uganda’s coffee revenue for the last twelve months, between August 2016 to July 2017, jumped 52.84 percent to US$513 million in July, up from US$336 million earned in the same month last year, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), reports in its latest statement.
According to UCDA, the improved revenue was attributed to the rise in the country’s coffee export volumes which totalled 427,204 60-kg bags in July 2017, up from 268,490 bags exported in the same month in 2016, representing a 59.3 percent increase.
UCDA attributes the increase in coffee bags to good weather conditions that boosted the crop this year, as it exported 3.34 million bags of Robusta and 1.01 million bags of Arabica.
UCDA says the increase in Arabica exports was due to a higher-yielding crop while Robusta was helped by yields from maturing new trees. Both Robusta and Arabica exports increased by 69.2 percent and 15.40 percent, respectively.
However UCDA says that 10 out of the 35 coffee dealers in July exported 76.23 percent of the coffee compared to 81.44 percent in June, reflecting a drop in concentration.
And, UCDA says August exports are likely to total 380,000 bags, up about 30 percent from the same period last year, helped by a peaking of the main season in the country’s central and southwestern growing regions.
Uganda is Africa’s number one exporter of coffee even though Ethiopia, the continent’s top producer, consumes most of her coffee domestically.
Uganda’s leading coffee exporting firms include Kyagulanyi, Ugacof, Ideal Commodities, Kampala Domestic Stores, Ibero and Kawacom, while the leading export destinations include the European Union, Sudan, USA, Morocco, and Japan. Others are Morocco, Switzerland, Mexico and Algeria, among others.
