By David Muwanga

COFFEE'S contribution to export earnings increased from $124.2m in 2004 to $172.9m (about sh318b) in 2005 despite a reduction in export volume, a top trade ministry official said last week.

Oule Epyanu, the senior commercial officer, said coffee had remained the major foreign exchange earner accounting for 21% of the export earnings.
He said fish and fish products earned $124.7m, while tea brought in $34.3m.

Epyanu said tea earnings had unfortunately continued to drop since 2003.

He said at a four-day national workshop on World Trade Organisation matters for university professors and academics that the majority of exports went to the European Union (EU) in 2005.
Epyanu said the EU absorbed 34% of the exports.

“Within the EU, the Netherlands followed by France, Belgium, Germany, the UK and Spain were the largest destinations for our exports. Switzerland who is not a member of the EU was another destination,” Epyanu said.
He said the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Central Africa) absorbed 26%.

Epyanu said the largest markets were Kenya, Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda.

He said the Asian economies were becoming an important export destination with the market share increasing to 8%.

Epyanu said exports to South America and the Middle East accounted for less than 10.
He said the main import in 2005 were petroleum and petroleum products that accounted for 28% of the import bill of $343.2m.

This was followed by vehicles that accounted for 15%, cereal and cereal preparations 11%, iron and steel shared 9%, while telecommunications accounted for 8%, Epyanu told the participants.