Africa's biggest coffee exporter raises 2018-19 estimates

The Uganda coffee regulator says the Africa’s biggest coffee exporter may increase shipments by 19 percent due to an increase in production and favourable weather.

The managing director of Uganda Coffee Development Authority, Emmanuel Iyamulemye on Tuesday said Total production for the season, which runs from October through September, is forecast to increase to 5.8 million 60-kilogram bags compared with an initial estimate of 5.1 million bags.

He reiterated that the country has been distributing seedlings to farmers over the last four years adding that some of the trees have started producing.

According to the regulator, the top destinations for the East African nation’s beans are the European Union, Sudan, the U.S., India, Morocco, Switzerland and Algeria.

Uganda is Africa’s biggest grower of the robusta variety, which accounts for about 80 percent of annual output.

In a bid to showcase opportunities in the sector, the East Africa nation is scheduled to host the first Coffee and Tourism Symposium and Exposition in the capital, Kampala this December.

Uganda to host first coffee, tourism symposium https://t.co/ZUfUYpFKcJ pic.twitter.com/rlzhsPq6Yw

— The Independent (@UGIndependent) November 28, 2018

The event organised by Coffee Tourism Uganda, is in collaboration with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the Uganda Local Government Association.