Uganda is exporting more coffee than at any point in its history. But the bigger story is not the record itself. It is what the surge says about the country’s emerging position in a global coffee market still dominated by Brazil and Vietnam, increasingly exposed to climate and supply shocks, and heavily dependent on trading and processing networks outside producing countries.
In the 12 months to April 2026, Uganda exported approximately 8.78 million 60kg bags of coffee worth US$2.38 billion, according to government figures. That represented growth of about 22% in volume and 23% in value from the preceding 12-month period. Other government reporting, using slightly different rolling periods, has put exports as high as 8.8 million bags and earnings at around US$2.4 billion.
The scale of the change becomes clearer over a longer horizon. In FY2023/24, Uganda exported 6.13 million bags worth US$1.14 billion. Less than two years later, annualised shipments were approaching nine million bags and export receipts had more than doubled.
That acceleration has established Uganda as Africa’s largest coffee exporter by volume and made the East African country increasingly relevant to international buyers looking beyond the industry’s traditional supply centres.
The International Coffee Organization has gone further in its assessment. While some recent movements in Brazilian and Vietnamese exports reflected cyclical or supply-related rebounds, the ICO described Uganda’s expansion as appearing structural, with exports on a sustained upward trajectory since the middle of the 2023/24 coffee year.
Uganda may still be far from challenging Brazil or Vietnam for global leadership. But it is becoming harder for the international coffee industry to treat the country simply as a secondary African origin.
A new source of supply in a volatile coffee market
Coffee’s global supply chain is highly concentrated.
Brazil dominates Arabica production and is also a major Robusta producer, while Vietnam is the world’s principal Robusta powerhouse. Changes in harvests in either country can therefore reverberate rapidly through international prices, inventories and sourcing decisions.
Uganda occupies an interesting position within that structure.
The country is particularly important in Robusta, the variety widely used in espresso blends and soluble coffee. It is also expanding its Arabica production and improving the quality and international positioning of both varieties.
That gives Uganda strategic value beyond its headline share of global production.
The coffee industry has spent several years dealing with weather disruption, changing inventories and elevated prices. The International Coffee Organization reported that Uganda’s rising exports have been supported by increasing production, high international prices and stock drawdowns.
The next weather cycle could make alternative origins even more important.
A strengthening El Niño is already creating additional uncertainty for tropical commodities. Robusta production is particularly exposed to heat and dryness in Vietnam and Indonesia, while Brazil’s Arabica crop faces its own weather risks.
Uganda therefore enters this period from a considerably stronger position than it did only a few years ago.
It is not replacing Brazil or Vietnam. Rather, it is becoming a more meaningful third source of supply in an industry where diversification increasingly carries commercial value.
That is potentially a much more durable development than a temporary spike in coffee prices.
Italy sits at the centre of Uganda’s coffee trade
Perhaps the most striking feature of Uganda’s coffee boom is where the beans are going.
Europe remains overwhelmingly the country’s most important coffee market, and Italy is its largest individual buyer.
In the year ending October 2025, Europe accounted for approximately 63% of Ugandan coffee exports. Italy alone took more than 26%, followed by Germany, Algeria, India and Switzerland. More recent monthly data have continued to show Italy in first position.
By March 2026, Italy’s share was reported at more than 32%, while Europe collectively accounted for around 62% of exports.
Italy’s large roasting industry consumes substantial quantities of Robusta for espresso blends. Uganda’s ability to supply Robusta at scale therefore connects naturally with one of Europe’s most sophisticated coffee-processing markets.
But it also illustrates the fundamental imbalance Uganda still faces.
Uganda grows the coffee. European companies import it, blend it, roast it, package it, brand it and ultimately sell it to consumers at multiples of the value captured by the original commodity.
The record export numbers are therefore simultaneously a success story and a reminder of how much economic value remains further down the supply chain.
The companies moving Uganda’s coffee
The international dimension becomes even clearer when looking at the companies handling the crop.
Uganda has dozens of licensed coffee exporters, but the market is relatively concentrated among a group of large local and international operators.
In November 2025, for example, the ten largest exporters accounted for around 65% of total shipments. Ugacof Ugandaled the market with 17.25%, followed by Kyagalanyi Coffee at 8.42%, Touton Uganda at 8.03%, Export Trading Company Uganda at 7.11% and Jber Coffee at 6.54%.
Source: Furtherafrica