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Plain textUgandan Coffee Exports Fall, But People Continue To Innovate
Coffee exports look like they will be down between 20% to 27% over the month of May on last years figures, according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
This is due to an extended rainy season which has delayed the drying of beans. However, although the coffee situation could be better, Ugandans are still innovating.
This dramatic fall in coffee exports will probably be the second worst on record. This year Uganda is scheduled to export 180,000 50KG bags this May, as opposed to 247,460 in May 2011.
However, Uganda's yearly coffee exports should be as high as 3.1 million to 3.2 million bags during 2011-12 according to the UCDA. The National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises had predicted exports would be as low as 2.8 to 2.9 million bags earlier in the month.
Meanwhile, although the yearly coffee exports may look uncertain, Ugandans are not just sitting around playing cards, Partypoker or watching the football - although of course they may well do all these things too.
No, farmers in the Rwenzori mountains have introduced a new, high-yielding variety of Arabica coffee. Going by the title of SL 14, trees of this variety produce 4kg of coffee compared to 2kg produced by the old variety.
Coffee of course is Uganda's largest export crop, but not quite everyone works in the business (although it can sometimes seem that way).
One innovative Ugandan trader has developed Cat Fish sausages sausages which she hopes will become a favourite all over Central and Eastern Africa.
Lovin Kobusingya, a graduate of Makerere University and a 28-year-old mother of two, started her business in February of this year and has seen her output climb from 100kg per day to 500kg per day.
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Updated on 2013-05-09 09:25 |
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