Uganda’s coffee industry posted one of its strongest months in recent years after export revenues for October climbed sharply to $185.56 million (about Shs730 billion), reflecting a 33 percent rise compared to the same month last year.
The country shipped out 685,720 60kg bags of coffee, representing a 38 percent jump in export volumes from October 2024. Officials attribute the surge to a bumper harvest in the Central and Eastern regions, where the picking season intensified, alongside favourable international prices driven by weather-related supply disruptions in major coffee-producing countries such as Brazil, Vietnam and several Central American nations.
The average export price stood at $4.51 per kilogram, slightly higher than September’s $4.31 but still below the $4.67 registered a year earlier.
Robusta coffee continued to dominate the trade, accounting for 87 percent of all shipments. Uganda exported 597,925 bags of Robusta worth $151.51 million. This represented a 31 percent increase in volume and a 19 percent jump in value compared to last year. The average price for Robusta was $4.22 per kilogram.
Arabica coffee recorded the most dramatic growth, with export volumes soaring by 117 percent and earnings rising by 182 percent year-on-year. Total Arabica exports reached 87,795 bags valued at $34.04 million, fetching an average price of $6.46 per kilogram.
In the broader picture, Uganda exported 8.4 million bags of coffee in the 12 months to October 2025, earning $2.4 billion—an impressive 77 percent increase in value from the previous year.
Europe remained the dominant market, taking in 63 percent of Uganda’s coffee. Italy led with 26.22 percent, followed by Germany at 10.67 percent and Algeria with 7.49 percent. African countries collectively absorbed 16 percent of the exports, amounting to 108,540 bags.
Ugacof (U) Ltd. emerged as the top exporter for October with a 12.44 percent market share, while Sucafina SA was the leading foreign buyer, holding 14.22 percent of the market.
Looking ahead, Uganda’s coffee shipments for November 2025 are projected to reach approximately 550,000 60kg bags.
