Uganda earns sh555.1b from May coffee exports
The report attributes the month's performance to lower international coffee prices amid expectations of improved global supplies, particularly following a favourable production outlook for Brazil's 2026/27 coffee season.
A coffee farmer in Kamwenge District. (Courtesy photo.)
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Uganda earned $151.7m (sh555.1 billion) from coffee exports in May 2026, with the country shipping 617,491 60-kilogram bags at an average export price of $4.1 per kilogram, according to the latest Monthly Coffee Report released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
The report attributes the month's performance to lower international coffee prices amid expectations of improved global supplies, particularly following a favourable production outlook for Brazil's 2026/27 coffee season.
The average export price fell by two US cents from $4.3 per kilogram recorded in April and was well below the $5.1 per kilogram registered in May last year.
Robusta remained Uganda's dominant export, accounting for 84% of all coffee shipped during the month. The country exported 517,825 bags of Robusta worth $116.1m (sh424.8b), while Arabica exports stood at 99,666 bags valued at $35.6m (sh130.3b).
Compared to May 2025, however, Uganda exported fewer bags and earned less from coffee shipments in May 2026. Export volumes fell from 788,115 bags to 617,491 bags, while earnings declined from $242.5m (Sh887.3b) to $151.7m (Sh555.1b), representing a 21.6% drop in volume and a 37.4% decline in value.
Despite the monthly decline, coffee exports over the twelve months to May 2026 remained on an upward trajectory, increasing to 8.6 million bags worth $2.3b (sh8.42 trillion) from 7.4 million bags worth $2.1b (sh7.68 trillion) in the previous twelve-months period, reflecting growth of 16% in volume and 11% in value.
Exporters
It was followed by Ugacof (U) Ltd with 9.9%, Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd with 8.5%, Ideal Quality Commodities Ltd at 7.7%, Jber Coffee Ltd at 6.9%, Louis Dreyfus Company (U) Ltd at 5.7%, Olam Uganda Ltd with 4.6%, DRK General Merchants Ltd at 3.8%, Kawacom (U) Ltd at 3.2%, and Ibero (U) Ltd with 2.9%.
The top ten exporters accounted for 65% of Uganda's total coffee exports during the month, down from 70% recorded in April. A total of 75 companies exported coffee in May.
Export destination
Italy remained Uganda's largest export destination, taking 26% of coffee exports during May, up from 19.3% recorded in April. Other leading destinations included India (9.5%), Sudan (9.2%), Germany (9.1%), Morocco (7.1%) and the United States (5.2%).
The report shows that the top ten export destinations accounted for 79% of Uganda's coffee exports, compared to 73% in April.