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May 29, 2020
By George Mangula
Uganda exported 359,973 60-kilo bags coffee in April 2020, worth US$ 36.93 million, but this was a 24.6 percent decline in the quantity exported when compared to 477,561 60-kilo bags shipped out of the country in March 2020, according to the sub-sector’s regulator, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
The latest UCDA report shows that the country exported 262,676 bags of Robusta and 97,297 bags of Arabica during the reporting month. UCDA has not given the reasons for the decline of coffee exports in April, although it says it is yet to quantify the effect of Covid-19 on the country’s coffee production.
However Uganda’s coffee exports increased in April 2020 when compared to the same month last year, with Robusta increasing by 19.78 percent while Arabica exports posted a 12.68 percent rise. UCDA attributes the increase to the increased production on account of fruition of the newly planted coffee, the season notwithstanding.
Further UCDA says: “Exporters also drew down on their stocks in the midst of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exports were to some extent affected by logistical issues due to the country’s lockdown.”
However UCDA notes that the country’s coffee exports for the first 10 months of the fiscal year 2019/20) totalled 4,243,282-kilo bags worth US$ 413.53 million compared to 3,481,328 60-kilo bags worth US$ 350.26 million the previous year.
But Uganda’s coffee exports for the 12-months period (May 2019 to April 2020) totalled to 4,931,471 bags worth US 478.47 million compared to 4,119,060 bags worth US$ 417.80 million the previous year.
Destination of Uganda’s coffee exports
The destinations of Uganda’s coffee exports during the month of April 2020 shows that Italy maintained the highest market share with 25.51 percent compared with 28.48 percent last month. It was followed by Germany at 17.55 percent from 11.76 percent in March. They were followed by Sudan and India at 15.31 and 10.44 percent, respectively.
Coffee exports to Africa amounted to 77,747 bags, a market share of 16.28 percent when compared to 77,972 bags shipped in the previous month. Europe remains the main destination for Uganda’s coffees with a 66.8 percent imports share.
May outlook
UCDA predicts 400,000 bags of coffee will be shipped out of the country in May 2020, although the government owned agency says the effect of COVID-19 on coffee production is yet to be quantified as lockdown is relaxed and trucks are able to travel to the rural areas to procure coffee. “Harvesting of the main crop south of the Equator has started and is projected to be good due to favourable rains, it says.
Coffee Development and Promotional Activities
UCDA says it started a focused approach on coffee rehabilitation and application of fertilizers. “Distribution of 100,000 bags Fertiplus organic fertilizers allocated to 24 cooperative societies country wide was completed.”It says stumping and fertilizer application to stumped coffee trees of beneficiary farmers were also undertaken.”
The Authority says it continued to deliver farmer extension services, mainly through farmer visits outreach in an effort to give technical guidance in line with the COVID-19 guidelines of maintaining social distance and minimizing contact.
It says farmers in central, western and south western region continued to maintain gardens for coffee planting for the March-May season while farmers in the Elgon and northern Uganda region were prepared for April-August season.
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