Uganda coffee fetches $48.6 million in just two months

Uganda’s coffee export volumes increased to 446,286 bags, bringing in Ush86.5 billion ($48.6 million) in the past two months as stocks of the world’s second most traded commodity ran out globally.

Compared with same months in the previous year (2007/2008), this year’s earnings shot up in value by $10 million.

In 2007/2008, over the same months, the country exported 371,440 bags valued at $38.6, according to the monthly reports from Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
UCDA attributes the surge to the harvesting and marketing of the 2008/2009 coffee crop, which has has received favour from good weather and fair prices in international markets. Coffee reaching the export grading factories was also of very good quality and desirable moisture content.

Coupled with the harvesting of high altitude Arabica coffee, which had been delayed by bad weather, this month’s volumes are projected to swell to the tune of 300,000 bags, some 40,000 bags more than realised in December last year.

The projection is based on favourable weather for the drying process and on farmers cashing in on the festive Christmas season.

Increased production in the 2008/2009-crop year will however, not have a significant impact on the global stocks, according to industry experts, because the current yield will be used to reconstitute declining stock as well as to respond to requirements for domestic consumption and exports.
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