Africa sees coffee exports drop 9.8 percent in May 2023

KAMPALA – Africa saw its coffee exports of all forms drop by 9.8 percent to 0.94 million bags in April 2023 down from 1.04mln bags in April 2022, the International Coffee Organisation [ICO] says in its latest report.

ICO in its Coffee Market Report for May 2023, adds that for the first seven months of the current coffee year, exports totalled 6.94mln bags compared with 7.37mln bags in coffee year 2021/22, down 5.9 percent.

“Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda are the main drivers behind the drop in the region’s exports, with shipments of coffee decreasing by 17.6 percent to 0.28mln bags compared with 0.34mln bags in April 2022, by 25.8 percent to 72,240 bags from 97,607 bags in April 2022 and by 8.4 percent to 0.37mln bags from 0.41mln bags over the same period, respectively,” says ICO.

“In its monthly report, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA] cited the impact of drought in the early part of the current coffee year, coupled with reduced exports to Sudan as the main reasons for the latest fall in exports.”

In Ethiopia, ICO says, contract disputes arising from a mismatch between local purchasing prices and the global market prices have been affecting the volume of exports since the early months of 2023. “It is presumed that exporters are withholding the coffee until the disputes are resolved.”

Meanwhile, ICO reports that global green bean exports in April 2023 totalled 9.21mln bags, compared with 9.48mln bags in the same month of the previous year, down 2.9 percent. “The downturn was driven by the Colombian Milds and the Brazilian Naturals.”

According to ICO, this is the fifth consecutive month of negative growth for total exports of green beans since the start of coffee year 2022/23. “As a result, the cumulative total for 2022/23 up to April is 64.95mln bags, compared with 69.4mln bags over the same period a year ago, down 6.4 percent.”

https://thecooperator.news/global-coffee-exports-drop-9-6-percent-in-march-2023/

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