Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) on Friday announced that the country’s coffee export earnings in October rose by 4.5 per cent over September, as it exported about 13 per cent more in quantity.
The UCDA made the announcement in its monthly report adding that the east African country exported 428,015 60-kg bags and earned 38.6 million dollars in October.
The UCDA attributed the increase to rising output and favourable weather.
Italy remain the largest buyer of Ugandan coffee exports, accounting for 38.5 per cent, followed by Sudan, Germany, India and Belgium.
Europe is the main destination of Ugandan coffee, purchasing 61 per cent of the country’s total export, according to the report.
The UCDA projects that Ugandan coffee export in November would increase to 500,000 60-kg bags, even though the prevailing rains could affect coffee drying and transport from the countryside.
In October, Uganda exported 5.4 million bags, worth 513.99 million dollars, up from 4.5 million bags for 435.81 million dollars of the previous year, rising 21 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
Coffee is one of the major commodities prioritised by Uganda to boost economic transformation.
The country, according to UCDA, is looking at new markets like China to increase export volumes.
About 1.7 million households in Uganda depend on coffee production, according to the UCDA.