Kampala, Uganda | Xinhua | The Ugandan government has urged coffee farmers not to lose heart amid volatility in the global market and adverse weather conditions affecting production.
Frank Tumwebaze, minister of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, said in a statement dated Sunday that the international coffee market had recently come under downward pressure amid increased supplies from major producing countries, particularly Brazil and Vietnam.
“Our price analysts attributed the immediate pressure partly to increased Brazilian exports as that country’s harvest approached completion. This tells us that the current price movement is not unique to Uganda. It is part of a wider international market adjustment,” Tumwebaze said.
Besides, Uganda is facing domestic supply challenges following a prolonged period of drought and unusually high temperatures in several coffee-growing areas, he said.
The resulting water stress has affected coffee flowering, cherry development, bean filling and, ultimately, processing yields and quality, according to the minister.
“The impact of this drought on coffee production at farm level has been felt at the national level,” Tumwebaze said, noting that Uganda exported 846,376 60-kg bags of coffee in July 2026, down from 997,105 bags in the same month a year earlier.
Coffee export earnings also fell to 204.1 million U.S. dollars in July 2026 from 250.7 million dollars in July 2025, according to the minister.
Despite the challenges, farmers are not necessarily facing losses, Tumwebaze said, stressing that a decline in prices does not automatically mean farmers are operating at a loss.
He urged farmers and other players in the coffee value chain not to lose confidence, saying the resilience of Uganda’s coffee industry continues to make coffee production and related activities profitable.
He added that the government was implementing measures to help farmers recover from the effects of adverse weather, mitigate future climate risks, and raise productivity and incomes.
Coffee remains a key commodity in Uganda’s economic agenda, with about 1.7 million households depending on the crop, according to the ministry. ■
