Uganda’s coffee sector is having a rough as the industry is being affected by drought in some parts of the country which has affected the export of the produce, cutting it to about 20%.
According to zawya.com, the decrease in the shipment exported is in sharp contrast to what it was exported last year.
The east African country exported 448,957 60-kilogram bags in February, 20% lower than volumes exported in February last year, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a report published on Saturday.
READ: Africa: Nigerian Food and Drug Agency, NAFDAC certifies Gidini Healthy Coffee Drink
Uganda is Africa’s biggest exporter of coffee followed by Ethiopia and earnings from the beans constitute a major of foreign exchange for the country. UCDA said the decline in exports were mainly on account of low yields of robusta, the coffee variety that Uganda predominantly cultivates.
“The decrease in robusta exports was mainly attributed to lower yields this year that was characterized by drought in some regions,” UCDA said.
Last month, Uganda blamed its withdrawal from an International Coffee Organisation (ICO) agreement on what it said are unfair tariffs and other barriers that restrict export of processed coffee to Europe and elsewhere.
