December coffee exports register record earnings - UCDA report

Uganda produces and exports two brands of coffee mainly Robusta and Arabica. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • While Arabica which grows mostly in the highlands in Eastern Uganda attracted $19.9m (Shs70.6bn) from the 84,301 bags exported in that month

Uganda’s monthly coffee exports earnings in December 2021 hit the highest mark of $75.2 million (Shs264bn) according to the latest report by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.

The December earnings were slightly higher than what the country earned in the month of October and November which recorded $75.02m and $71m (Shs249bn) respectively.

This performance was a record earning and the highest in a single month since 2011.

According to the monthly records from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, the earnings accrued from the export of of 536,889- 60-kilogram bags.

Uganda produces and exports two brands of coffee mainly Robusta and Arabica. Robusta takes more than 80 per cent of the market share while Arabica takes the remaining 20 per cent share.

During this period in review a total of 452, 55 bags of Robusta were exported, earning the country $55.26 million (Shs196bn)..

While Arabica which grows mostly in the highlands in Eastern Uganda attracted $19.9m (Shs70.6bn) from the 84,301 bags exported in that month.

Mr Emmanuel Iyamulemye, UCDA’s managing director said: “The December performance was an increase of 28.03 percent and 100.64 percent in quantity and value respectively compared to the same month last year.”

He said that the increasing coffee exports during the month compared to the previous year were due to newly planted coffee which started yielding supported by favorable weather.

Cumulative coffee exports for the 12 months (January 2021-December 2021) amounted to 6.7million 60-kilo bags worth $718.57 million compared to 5.4million 60-kilo bags valued at $520.01 million the previous year (January 2020- December 2020).

This represents 23.26 percent and 38.18 percent increase in both quantity and value respectively.

Price

The report in review shows that the average export price was $2.34 per kilo, 8 cents higher than $2.26 per kilo realized in November 2021. This was 85 cents higher than in December 2020 ($1.49/kilo).