Uganda's coffee export earnings in October rose by 4.5 percent over the previous month, though it exported 13 percent more in quantity, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said on Friday in its latest monthly report. The east African country 428,015 60-kg bags and earned 38.6 million U.S. dollars in October, the report said. The UCDA attributes the increase to rising output and favorable weather. Italy remains the largest buyer of Ugandan coffee exports, accounting for 38.5 percent, followed by Sudan, Germany, India and Belgium. Europe is the main destination of Ugandan coffee, purchasing 61 percent of the country's total export, according to the report. The UCDA projects that Ugandan coffee export in November will increase to 500,000 60-kg bags, even though the prevailing rains could affect coffee drying and transport from the countryside.
In the year ending October, Uganda exported 5.4 million bags, worth 513.99 million dollars, up from 4.5 million bags for 435.81 million dollars of the previous year, rising 21 percent and 18 percent respectively. Coffee is one of the major commodities prioritized by Uganda to boost economic transformation. The country, according to UCDA, is looking at new markets like China to increase export volumes. About 1.7 million households in Uganda depend on coffee production, according to the UCDA.