Uganda posts improved half year coffee export earnings

A farmer picks ripe coffee beans. The country has recorded improved export earnings mainly from two major species of Robusta and Arabica. FILE Photo  

By Dorothy Nakaweesi

KAMPALA.

Uganda has registered an increase in both volume and value of coffee exports indicating a good trend for the country’s leading export commodity.

The latest report from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority for the month of March shows that, coffee exports for the period (April 2013 to March 2014) totalled 3.77 million bags up from the 3.02 million bags exported in the same period last year.

The report adds: “In the same period, the country earned $415 million (Shs1.045 trillion) compared to $396 million (Shs997 billion) earned the same period last year (April 2012 -March 2013)”.

This, according to the report shows that there was a 24.83 per cent and 4.80 per cent increase in volume and value respectively.


Coffee exports in March 2014 amounted to 348,423-kilo bags worth $38.87 million (Shs97 billion). This comprised of 268,204 bags of Robusta coffee fetching $27.65 million (Shs69 billion) and 80,219 bags of Arabica coffee bringing in$11.22 million (Shs28.2 billion).

Robusta, which is the country’s leading coffee species, increased by 12.18 per cent and 1.37 per cent in volume and value respectively while Arabica also posted an increase of 14.44 per cent and 6.59 per cent in volume and value respectively compared to the same period last year 2012/13.
At least 72 per cent of the total export volume was exported by 10 exporters, out of 29 exporters that performed in the month.