According to Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), coffee exports for eleven months of 2018/19 coffee year (October 2018 to August 2019) totaled to 4,078,069 bags worth US $400 million compared to 4,010,922 bags worth US $433 million the previous year, an increase of 1.67 per cent in quantity and a drop of 7.66 per cent in value respectively.
Coffee exports in August 2019 amounted to 489,184 60-kilo bags worth US$ 46.34 million. This comprised 414,940 bags of Robusta worth US $38.09 million) and 74,244 bags of Arabica worth (US $8.25 million). “This was an increase in both quantity and value of 40.19 per cent and 29.87 per cent respectively from the same month last year,” says UCDA.
By comparing quantity of coffee exported by type in the same month of last coffee year (August 2018 and 2019), Robusta registered a percentage increase both in quantity and value OF 39.76 per cent and 30.05 per cent respectively.
Arabica exports also registered a percentage increase in both quantity and value of (42.64 per cent and 33.70 per cent respectively.
Coffee exports for the first two months (Financial year 2019/20) amounted to 952,893 60-kilo bags worth US$ 91.04 million compared to 741,974 60-kilo bags worth US$ 76.37 million the previous year, a 28.42 per cent and 19.22 per cent increase in both quantity and value respectively.
UCDA attributes the increase in production to a big main crop from South western region and exporters releasing their Robusta stocks to fulfill their contractual obligations.
Uganda’s coffee exports in September are projected to be 370,000 bags as the main harvest season in Greater Masaka and Greater Bushenyi is at its tail. “Actors are expecting a good main and fly harvests on account of favourable weather in 2019,” UCDA says.
Meanwhile, world coffee exports amounted to 11.34 million bags in July 2019, compared with 10.36 million in July 2018. Exports in the first 10 months of coffee year 2018/19 (Oct/18 to July/19) increased by 10.2 per cent to 109.41 million bags compared to 99.28 million bags in the same period in 2017/18.
Global coffee consumption is estimated to grow by 2.1 per cent to 164.77 million bags in coffee year 2018/19. Despite the ongoing demand growth, a global production surplus of five million bags is expected in coffee year 2018/19.
