Uganda June coffee exports up 31 percent on year ago

KAMPALA - Uganda exported 361,146 60-kg bags of coffee in June, a 31 percent rise on the same period a year ago after dry weather conditions helped speed up maturation of the beans and the drying process, a state agency said on Thursday.

Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said the east African nation had exported 275,057 bags in June 2012. Uganda is one of Africa's biggest coffee exporters and the bean is one of its main sources of foreign currency.

"The prevailing dry conditions helped quicken the maturation of beans and the drying process so farmers were able to release larger volumes and because of the dry conditions roads in rural areas are now better, which facilitated faster transportation," a source at UCDA told Reuters.

"Also, generally the season's crop in the southwestern region was very good this year," the source added.

Reuters