Coffee Exports Hit Record Value Amid Rising Global Prices

Uganda's coffee export earnings hit a record high in the last financial year, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority said, as a global supply crunch pushed international prices to their highest levels in over a decade.

Export volumes grew modestly, but it was the sharp rise in world prices that drove earnings up by nearly a third compared to the previous year, cementing coffee's position as Uganda's single largest export earner.

"Farmers are finally seeing prices that reflect the real cost and effort of growing quality coffee," said a UCDA official, while cautioning that smallholder farmers have not always captured the full benefit of the price rally.

Industry players are now pushing for expanded value-addition, arguing that exporting more roasted and processed coffee rather than raw beans would capture significantly more value locally.