Uganda coffee exports in May slightly lower

KAMPALA – Uganda’s coffee exports in May were 0.4 percent lower from shipments in the same period last year, undermined by a drought and war in Sudan which cut demand for the product, Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA] says in a report.

Uganda, which is Africa’s largest exporter of the green beans, shipped 453,169 60-kilogramme bags of coffee in May, 0.4 percent lower than volumes exported in the same month last year, according to UCDA.

Coffee is one of Uganda’s biggest sources of foreign exchange and last month’s exports earned the agricultural-based country US$73mln.

“The monthly coffee exports performance was lower than the previous year … partly on account of an earlier drought coupled with reduced exports to Sudan,” UCDA said in the report.

Sudan is one of the biggest destinations of Uganda’s coffee but shipments there have declined since war broke out in the country in April. Sudan in imported 39,567 bags compared to 31,849 bags bought in May.

However, the country’s coffee exports for 12 months [June 2022-May 2023] totaled 5.73mln bags worth US$ 838.78mln compared to 6.35mln bags worth US$ 837,04mln the previous year [June 2021-May 2022]. This represents a decrease of 10 percent in quantity but an increase of 0.2 percent in value.

 Outlook for June 2023

The country’s coffee exports are projected to be 500,000 bags. The main harvesting season in Greater Masaka and South-Western regions which will peak in June/July is ongoing.

Meanwhile, world coffee production for 2022/23 is forecast to rebound 6.6mln bags from the previous year to 172.8mln due primarily to Brazil’s Arabica crop entering the on-year of the biennial production cycle.

Global consumption is expected to rise by 800,000 bags to 167.9mln, with the largest gains in the European Union, the United States of America and Brazil. World coffee bean exports are forecast 3.0mln bags lower to 116.1mln as losses in Brazil, Vietnam, and India more than offset gains in Honduras and Colombia. Ending stocks are expected 1.5mln bags higher to 34.1mln.

https://thecooperator.news/bulambuli-coffee-farmers-urged-to-ensure-high-quality/

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