Uganda Plans to Quadruple Coffee Production

Uganda Plans to Quadruple Coffee Production to Capitalize on Global Demand

Uganda's president announced on Saturday (February 16th) that Uganda—Africa's largest coffee exporter—plans to quadruple its coffee production over the next few years, positioning itself to ride rising global coffee consumption and boost export revenues.

Production Targets and Value-Addition Strategy

According to a presidential spokesperson, the East African nation aims to lift output from the current 3 million bags to at least 12 million bags of 60 kilograms each within the medium term. The government also intends to maximize returns by adding value to its coffee before export.

International Collaboration and Strategic Planning

President Museveni made the remarks during a meeting in the capital, Kampala, with a delegation from the International Coffee Organization led by Executive Director Roberio Oliveira.

He framed the production push as part of a national strategy centered on replacing old trees with new ones: most of Uganda's coffee trees are more than 40 years old, which is driving yields down.

Implementation Plans and Timeline

Uganda plans to plant at least 20 million new high-yield coffee trees annually and hopes to reach its production target by 2020.

Economic Impact and Export Markets

Coffee is Uganda's second-largest source of foreign exchange after tourism. The country currently exports nearly all of its coffee as raw beans, primarily to European Union countries, the United States, and Asia.

Production Growth Forecast

Uganda's coffee production for 2012-2013 is expected to rise at least 10% year-on-year, reaching roughly 3 million bags.

Source: Market Watch—Nicholas Bariyo

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

News like this is a reminder of how much untapped character exists across Africa's coffee belt—and of how approachable great specialty coffee can be. If you are just starting out, FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level single-origin picks are a gentle on-ramp. Ethiopia, Africa's largest producer and the recognized birthplace of coffee, anchors the list: the washed Gedeb Cooperative lot is a textbook Yirgacheffe with jasmine florals, lemon acidity, and berry tones, while the natural-processed Flower Queen from Sidamo shows off the region's trademark tropical-fruit and fermented aromatics—berries, florals, jackfruit, sweet melon, and honey.

Brazil offers the easygoing counterpoint. FrontStreet Coffee's Cerrado Red Bourbon everyday bean is a classic "tastes great, costs little" introduction, with cream, peanut, and cocoa in the cup; step up to the higher-grown Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon for compound nut aromas of butter, melon seeds, macadamia, and almond wrapped in sugarcane sweetness—equally lovely black or with milk. For those who prefer zero acidity, Indonesia is the answer: FrontStreet Coffee's Lin dong Mandheling uses the local wet-hulled process, invented because unpredictable rain and limited resources forced workers to machine-hull beans while still half-dry, creating the uniquely dense, herbal, spice-laden Mandheling profile—richer and smoother than Blue Mountain, and ideal for anyone who shies away from sour notes. The PWN Golden Mandheling goes further, sorted three times by hand and once by machine for a cleaner, silkier cup with clearer wood and caramel tones.