KAMPALA, September 6, 2024 — Exports of all forms of coffee from Africa increased by 34.7 percent to 1.9 million bags in July 2024 from 1.41mln bags in July 2023, according to the International Coffee Organisation [ICO].
The ICO in its Coffee Market Report August 2024, says Ethiopia and Uganda were the driving forces behind the region’s growth in July 2024, as their exports increased by 63.6 percent and 27.2 percent, respectively, to 0.72mln bags and 0.82mln bags as compared with 0.44mln bags and 0.65mln bags in July 2023.
The Uganda Coffee Development Authority [UCDA] reported that the strong July 2024 exports were a result of the newly harvested bigger Robusta crop from the Greater Masaka region and South Western region reaching the market. Uganda also produces Arabica coffee, mainly on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.
As for Ethiopia, the transportation infrastructure and the resolution of contract disputes continue to be behind the latest double-digits increase.
Africa’s cumulative total of 12.87mln bags for the first 10 months of coffee year 2023/24 is up 15.9 percent, as compared with the 11.1mln bags shipped from the continent in coffee year 2022/23, says the ICO report.
Globally, green bean exports in July 2024 totalled 10.03mln bags, as compared with 9.14mln bags in the same month of the previous year, up 9.6 percent. The cumulative total for coffee year 2023/24 to July 2024 was 103.08mln bags, up 10.6 percent, as compared with 93.88mln bags over the same period a year ago. The Brazilian Naturals, once again, was the main group responsible for the overall strong growth seen in July 2024, accounting for 54.2 percent of the 0.88mln-bag net gain in total exports.
Meanwhile, green bean exports of the Robustas were up 3.3 percent to 3.71mln bags in July 2024 from 3.59mln bags in July 2023. The ICO says this is the first instance of positive growth following two consecutive months of negative growth.
However, the growth rate of the cumulative total continued to decelerate, dropping down to 5.0 percent in July 2024 from 5.2 percent in June 2024, with total shipment at 39.69mln bags, as compared with 37.8mln bags in the first 10 months of coffee year 2022/23.
The main driver of July’s relatively shallow positive growth rate was the confluence of positive growth in Brazil, up 78.3 percent, and Uganda, up 31.6 percent and negative growth in Vietnam, the largest exporter of Robusta coffee in the world. “Vietnam continues to struggle with tightness in their domestic supply having largely, according to various news outlets, depleted their stocks, while the country waits for the new crop to hit the market,” says the ICO.
The relatively stronger positive growth rate of the Arabicas has resulted in their share of total green bean exports increasing to 63.0 percent in July 2024 as compared with 60.7 percent in July 2023. For the coffee year to date, the Arabicas’ share was 61.8 percent in July 2024 versus 59.7 percent in July 2023.
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