Uganda’s coffee industry has had a bumper month. Exports for April 2025 more than doubled in value compared to the same period last year—an outcome largely tied to a healthy domestic harvest and a tightening global supply that’s kept prices high.
According to a new report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the country exported 694,318 60-kilo bags of coffee last month, earning US$214.38 million. That’s roughly UGX 780.24 billion.
This represents a 152.56% increase in value and a 77.44% jump in quantity over April 2024.
The average price for Uganda’s coffee in April stood at US$5.15 per kilogram—up one US cent from March, and US$1.53 higher than a year ago.
Over the full coffee year—spanning May 2024 to April 2025—Uganda sold 7.17 million bags of coffee abroad. Those exports were worth US$1.97 billion, or around UGX 7.17 trillion.
That’s nearly double the value recorded in the previous coffee year, which brought in US$1.01 billion from 5.90 million bags. The volume increase was 21.70%, while the value shot up 94.64%.
Good Crop, Global Droughts
Officials say the strong performance was powered by “a good crop from the main harvest in the Masaka and southwestern regions.”
But there’s also a global context. Dry weather in Brazil and Vietnam—top producers of Arabica and Robusta—has squeezed supply and pushed up prices. That’s worked in Uganda’s favour.
Robusta Rules
Robusta coffee, Uganda’s dominant export, led the way in April. 594,188 bags were shipped out, bringing in US$177.08 million—around UGX 644.57 billion.
That’s a 187.61% increase in value and a 104.63% rise in volume compared to the same month in 2024.
Arabica exports were smaller—100,130 bags, earning US$37.30 million (about UGX 135.81 billion). While the quantity dipped slightly—down 0.8% year-on-year—the value was still up 60%.
Europe Still Top Buyer
Most of Uganda’s coffee—71%—went to Europe. Italy remained the biggest single buyer, with a 42.02% market share, followed by Germany (11.30%), Spain (7.46%), India (6.79%), and Sudan (4.72%). African countries together made up 11% of the market.
On the export side, Ugacof (U) Ltd. was the top player, shipping 12.58% of the total volume. The top 10 exporters handled just over 68% of the coffee, suggesting that competition remains steady within the sector.
While the future of global prices remains uncertain, Uganda’s coffee industry seems to be holding a strong hand—for now.
