KAMPALA, May 2 (Reuters) – Uganda’s coffee exports nearly doubled in March from the same month last year, according to a report by the agriculture ministry, boosted by a good harvest.
The East African country shipped a total of 642,981 60-kilogram bags of the beans in March, over 90% more than in the same month last year, the report showed.
Uganda, which primarily cultivates the robusta variety, is Africa’s largest exporter of coffee, followed by Ethiopia.
In value terms, the shipments in March earned $198.6 million, more than 200% higher than in March 2024.
The ministry attributed the steep surge in volumes exported and earnings to a good crop and favourable global prices.
Uganda’s exports of coffee have been rising sharply in recent months, mostly due to high global prices and newly-planted trees that are maturing.
The country earned $1.8 billion from the shipments in the 12 months to March, up from about $1 billion in the previous 12-month period.
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Alexander Winning and Mark Potter)
