Kampala – Uganda’s coffee exports fell sharply in July, with shipments declining nearly 15% from a year earlier, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
Uganda exported 846,376 60-kilogram bags of coffee in July 2026, down from about 995,071 bags in July 2025. The ministry’s official monthly report puts the decline at 14.9%.
Export earnings also weakened, falling 18.4% to $204.1 million, compared with $250.1 million a year earlier. The average export price was about $4 per kilogram, down from $4.2 per kilogram in July 2025.
Robusta Bears The Brunt
Robusta accounted for the overwhelming majority of shipments, with 775,148 bags exported at a value of $177.9 million. Robusta exports fell 15% in volume and 19.1% in value year-on-year.
Arabica exports stood at 71,228 bags, valued at $26.1 million, representing declines of 13.8% in volume and 13% in value.
The ministry did not attribute the July decline specifically to drought in its report. It said export volumes were lower than a year earlier, while global coffee prices were influenced by weather concerns in Brazil and tightening supplies of immediately deliverable Arabica.
Twelve-Month Exports Remain Strong
Despite the July setback, Uganda’s coffee sector recorded strong volumes over the 12 months to July 2026.
The country exported 8.2 million 60-kg bags worth $2.13 billion between August 2025 and July 2026. That represented a 3.4% increase in volume, although export value declined 4.8% from the previous year as global prices weakened.
Coffee remains one of Uganda’s most important sources of foreign exchange, alongside gold, making movements in export volumes and international prices significant for the country’s external earnings.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Elias Biryabarema
