Uganda raises 2011/12 coffee export forecast to 3.2 million bags

Uganda revised its projected coffee exports for the 2011/12 season up to 3.2 million 60-kg bags on Monday from a previous estimate of 3.0 million bags, an official at the industry regulator told Reuters.“We implemented a tree planting programme three years ago in central and south western regions and these trees are now maturing,” Norman Mutekanga, manager for Strategy and Development at the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, said.“So we’re counting on the yield from these new trees to push up our export volumes this year,” he said.Uganda is one of Africa’s leading coffee exporters and shipped 3.15 million bags in the 2010/11 season (Oct-Sept).It mainly cultivates the robusta variety, with earnings from the crop constituting a major source of foreign currency for the east African country. Mutekanga also said the weather outlook was favourable.“The weather has been a good mix of rains and sunshine so far and we don’t expect this pattern to change,” he said.

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Uganda raises 2011/12 coffee export forecast to 3.2 million bags