Uganda says coffee exports down 14% year on year due to drought

Uganda’s coffee exports declined last month due to the impact of a drought affecting many growing areas across the country, the state-run sector regulator said.

The east African country shipped a total of 503 695 60-kg bags of coffee beans in September, down 14% compared with the same period a year earlier, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a report.

“The decrease in exports was mainly attributed to lower yields this year that were characterised by drought in most regions,” UCDA said, adding the dry conditions had resulted in a shorter harvest season in central and eastern Uganda.

Uganda is Africa’s largest exporter of coffee, followed by Ethiopia, and relies on earnings from the crop as a major source of foreign exchange.

September is the last month of the crop year, which starts the previous October.

In the 2021-2022 (Oct- Sept) crop year, Uganda exported 5.9 million bags that fetched $876 million, down from 6.5 million bags worth $630.01 million.

Some years earnings are higher despite a decline in volumes because of rises in international coffee prices.