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 in August, 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 12 months from September 2020-August 2021, amounted to 6,414,696 60-kilo bags worth US$ 607.81 million, compared to 5,216,608-kilo bags valued at US$ 502.24 million of the previous year.

This represents 22.97% and 21.02% increase in both quantity and value respectively, making it the highest yearly exported quantity in 30 years.

According to a report by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), the exported amount in August, deemed to be the highest in the 12 months period, comprised of 636,458 bags of Robusta valued at US$65.24 million and 64.532 bags of Arabica valued at US$9.85 million.

By comparing quantity of coffee exported by type in the same month of last Coffee Year (August 2020), Robusta increased by 39% and 70.98% in quantity and value respectively.

While Arabica exports increased by 4.44% and 24.80% in quantity and value respectively.

Increasing Robusta exports were due to newly planted coffee which started yielding supported by favourable weather.

This was also compounded by a positive trend in global coffee prices in the month of July and August as Brazil faced the threat of frost, which prompted exporters to release their stocks.

The modest increase in Arabica coffee exports with a correspondingly high increase in value compared to the same month last year was on account of higher global coffee prices.

Italy remained to be the nation with the highest appetite for Ugandan coffee, maintaining the highest market share with 34.02% compared with 36.25% last month.

It was followed by Germany 13.39%, Sudan 10.43%, Algeria 10.22% and India 7.76%.

Coffee exports to Africa amounted to 169,383 bags, a market share of 24% compared to 147,652 bags (21%) the previous month.

African countries included Sudan, Morocco, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt, Madascar and Somalia. Europe remained the main destination for Uganda’s coffees with a 61% imports share.

World coffee exports for July totalled 10.65 million bags up by 1.7% from 10.47 million bags in July 2020.

Global coffee production for 2020/21 is estimated to increase by 0.4% to 169.64 million bags up from 168.98 million bags in Coffee Year 2019/20.

Global consumption is estimated to increase by 1.9% % to 167.01 million bags.

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