Uganda becomes the second-top coffee supplier to Italy
Italy and Germany, EU’s major coffee roasting countries with 60% production segment in 2020 have now scaled down their sources due to Robusta beans shortfalls in Brazil and shipment disruptions in Vietnam with increased coffee trade with Uganda.
Uganda has become a successful case of production, expansion and promotion for the last couple of years. With the current sourcing problems in South America and Southeast Asia, roasters have been buying a little more from elsewhere and have been more careful to keep the blending formula the same for their clients.
Uganda is Africa’s biggest coffee exporter of both Robusta/Arabica beans and the second-top producer after Ethiopia. For the last six years the government of Uganda has managed the planting of millions of new trees in recent years as part of plans to increase annual output to 20-million bags by 2030. Nestle, the major manufacturer of packed food products including coffee capsules has a program to produce coffee from Uganda’s mountainous Rwenzori region. Ugandan authorities have credited the success for improved quality of their beans due to the advanced technological transfer from EU.
Demand for Ugandan coffee in Italy may increase even more in the coming months with the improved production in the country. Total shipments jumped 21% to 6.5-million 60kg bags in the year to end-September, Uganda’s highest in three decades and about a third of that going to Italy.