Category: Tea, Coffee & Cocoa

Uganda’s full year coffee exports attain highest volume in 30 years propelled by buoyant performance in August

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UGANDA – Uganda is continuing to exhibit an upward trend in its coffee export volumes and earnings, attaining a 34.89% rise in quantity to 700,990 60-kilo bags, compared to the same month last year. The month’s output is higher compared to the 700,035 bags exported the previous month in July and 618,388 bags sold in June. During the period under review, the East African country fetched US$ 75.09 million from the exports of the month, 63.06 % higher compared to the corresponding period in 2020. Meanwhile, coffee exports for the…

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Louis Dreyfus Company forms joint venture with Japanese specialty coffee merchant Zephyr Japan

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JAPAN – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods has signed a joint venture agreement with Zephyr Japan, specialty coffee merchants based in Japan providing premium coffees to Japanese consumers. The partnership represents LDC’s first venture in Japan, a fast-growing market for specialty coffees, aimed to position LDC to increase premium coffee flows into Japan and East Asian markets. This another positive step forward for LDC’s specialty business, growing its market share in a segment specialty coffee market which is expected to exceed US$83 billion…

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Nigerian agricultural firms secure financing with support from NIRSAL to boost poultry, cocoa production

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NIGERIA – The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc has facilitated the approval and disbursement of N81.8 million (US$198,700) and N150 million (US$364,500) from Union Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc respectively to two agri firms to boost poultry and cocoa production and export in Cross River State, South of Nigeria. NIRSAL Plc, is a non-bank financial Institution wholly-owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), established in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Nigerian Bankers’ Committee. Its mandate is…

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Uganda’s coffee exports volume rise by 28% in July 2021 earning US$69.93m

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UGANDA – Uganda’s coffee exports in July 2021 amounted to 700,035 60-kilo bags worth US$ 69. 93 million. This was an increase of 28.77% and 39.27 % in quantity and value respectively compared to the same month last year, indicates Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) on the monthly report. The performance also exhibited the country’s continuous monthly growth in export volumes in the current year. In June, Uganda sold 618,388 60-kilo bags worth US$ 58.56 million. The total exported volumes in July, comprised of 660,458 bags of Robusta valued at…

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Zimbabwe based Organic Africa opens multi-million-dollar herbal tea processing factory

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ZIMBABWE – Zimbabwe has welcomed a new herbal tea processing factory constructed by agriculture concern, Organic Africa. The multi-million-dollar facility is aimed to promote value addition which will in turn ensure the players along the value chain get the best returns from the produce. Termed as one of the largest herbal tea factories in Southern Africa by The Herald, the facilities will enable Organic Africa to get a share of the lucrative market segment. The herbal tea market was valued at US$ 3.289 billion in 2020 and is projected to…

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Barry Callebaut completes acquisition of Europe Chocolate Company, extends supply agreement with Hershey

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BELGIUM – Swiss-based cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has successfully closed the acquisition of Europe Chocolate Company (ECC), a Belgian privately-owned B2B manufacturer of chocolate specialties and decorations.  In a statement, Barry said that it will now focus on integrating the business into the company’s global operations.   ECC integration is expected to strengthen Barry Callebaut’s manufacturing capabilities in the growing market of highly customized chocolate specialties and decorations.  “We are pleased to close this acquisition and very happy to welcome the ECC team to the Barry Callebaut family,” Wim Debedts,…

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Kenya’s tea production to receive a boost as agency imported fertilizer arrives

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KENYA –   Kenya’s tea production is set to receive a major boost after key fertilizer arrived in the country in August for distribution to some 650,000 small scale farmers affiliated to factories managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).  KTDA chairman David Gichoga says the 1.5 million bags consignment has docked in the post of Mombasa and will be distributed to farmers in the shortest time before the onset of the short rains.  Speaking in Mombasa during an induction workshop for 54 tea factories on good corporate governance, Gichoga said there is need to maximize…

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SA’s Rooibos becomes first African commodity to receive EU’s Protected Designations of Origin certification

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SOUTH AFRICA – The South African rooibos industry has officially received the certificate of registration for Protection Designation of Origin (PDO) in the European Union (EU). A PDO identifies and links a product to a region, associating its quality and reputation to that area. Rooibos also known as bush tea or red tea, is a caffein free herbal tea and antioxidant food ingredient originating from the endemic South African fynbos plant, aspalathus linearis, that has become popular on the global markets. With the certification, Rooibos will now receive the same…

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Louis Dreyfus to build coffee facility in Vietnam as Cargill eyes greater share of Asia-Pacific’s chocolate market

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VIETNMAN – Agricultural commodity trading giant Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) is expanding its presence in Vietnam through a new joint venture agreement with Poland-headquartered private label coffee company Instanta. Through the venture, the two companies are planning to build and operate a freeze-dried instant coffee plant in Binh Duong province, Vietnam. The joint venture will operate under the name ILD Coffee Vietnam, with construction expected to start in thefirst half of 2022 LDC says the joint venture presents another step in its strategy to pursue greater vertical integration and revenue…

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Kenya boosts local consumption of coffee with establishment of coffee houses in universities

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KENYA – Kenya produces an average of 45,000 MT of coffee annually, out of which, about 95% is exported as raw commodity to international markets. Of the balance of 5%, about 2% is exported as value added while the other 3% is consumed locally in the country. In comparison to other coffee producing countries, Kenya’s consumption rate is far much lower given that Ethiopia consumes 50% of its coffee, Brazil 40%, Columbia 35% and Guatemala 30%. In a bid to change the narrative, the Agricultural and Food Authority (AFA) through…

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