KAMPALA—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 percent 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 characterized 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.
