COFFEE EXPORTS: Uganda’s high quality beans charm China

Uganda’s coffee exports to China soar on account of quality beans

KAMPALA, Uganda | Xinhua & The Independent | Uganda’s coffee exports to China surged fivefold in August compared to the previous month, according to a report by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).

The UCDA’s latest report, released Monday, revealed that coffee exports to China increased from 2,100 bags in July to 11,580 bags in August.

“Uganda’s coffee exports to China are on the rise, showcasing the growing appreciation for our high-quality beans,” it said.

Judyth Nsababera, Uganda’s consul general in Guangzhou, China, told Xinhua by phone that the dramatic increase in exports is the result of strong bilateral relations, an effective marketing strategy, and improved coffee quality.

“My office has been promoting coffee heavily in China. There is also increased demand of coffee as more and more Chinese are enjoying coffee, especially the younger generation,” Nsababera said. “Our coffee has a superior taste. It is very versatile, meaning you can blend it with a low-grade coffee, and it will immediately improve the taste.”

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. See you all at Xiamen International Coffee Fair. Uganda Consulate Guangzhou is a cohost together with the city of Xiamen. Save the date November 22nd-24th 2024. Tag a coffee farmer, seller, exporter and MDA stakeholder. Let’s go 💪🏾 https://t.co/VC4ihDylaL

— Amb. Judyth Nsababera (@Nsababera_juju) September 22, 2024

Uganda, along with the Chinese city of Xiamen, is set to co-host a coffee expo in November, Nsababera noted.

The UCDA’s report also highlighted that China is now among the top 20 destinations for Ugandan coffee. Overall, Uganda’s coffee exports earned 1.35 billion U.S. dollars in the year between September 2023 and August 2024.

A total of 837,91560-kilo bags of coffee valued at US$221.63 million were actually exported altogether in August, including to key markets of Europe and America. The European Union (EU) takes up to 60% of coffee from Uganda.

UCDA is currently on a countrywide drive to register farmers to meet new export regulations to the EU. They have recently got support from Buganda Kingdom and the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda.

The new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) law that requires that all countries trace each kilogramme of coffee exported to the EU back to the producer. The regulation seeks to ensure that oil palm, soy, wood, cocoa, coffee cattle, rubber, and associated products, imported, exported, and traded within the EU, are not associated with deforestation and forest degradation.

In order to comply with EUDR, the sector is currently in the final stages of rolling out a country-wide coffee value chain registration exercise, which will form the basis for coffee traceability. This will require the registration of all coffee plots across the country.

Enumerators will visit all coffee farms, recording a minimum set of data required for EUDR compliance verification, including geo-locations of coffee plots. UCDA said that to ensure the success of the registration exercise, they need full cooperation of industry players, cultural, religious, administrative and political leaders. This, experts say, will help address any suspicion or resistance among the coffee farming and trading constituency.

UCDA has also said that it is crucial that any expansion of coffee cultivation is done in compliance with the EUDR, ensuring that new plantations are not established by cutting down natural or plantation forests. ■

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