uganda coffee farm

UGANDA EXPORTS DECLINE 24 PERCENT AFTER BAD HARVEST

Uganda’s coffee exports declined 24% year-on-year in April the state-run sector regulator Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) reported last week. The organisation  blamed the weather, as a drought in some parts of the country cut yields, 

The east African country shipped a total of 407,762 60-kilogram bags, down 24% compared with the same month last year, UCDA said in a report. This reverses the progress the country was making from 2017-2020 in which production increased each year, and continues the recent downward trend as the January numbers reported by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) disclosed.

Uganda Total Crop Production 2017-2020

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Uganda Coffee Exports 2021 to 2021 (R/A)

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Strong prices however, have protected the countries revenues, and despite the low production, the value had increased to  $70.9 million, up 42% when compared with April 2021. 

This is good news for Uganda, as coffee exports provide a critical inflow of foreign currency to the country

Uganda is the eighth largest exporter of coffee in the world, and the largest in Africa, ahead of Ethiopia. The country recently chose to withdraw from the ICO in a move that has proved controversial, especially with farmers who have been perplexed by the governments strategy.

Photo source: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security | Flickr

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