Home » Agricultural Products » East Africa Rises in Global Coffee Trade as Uganda Leads Export Boom
East Africa’s coffee industry is experiencing a moment of historic transformation, led by Uganda’s rise as the continent’s top coffee exporter. In May 2025, Uganda overtook Ethiopia by exporting a record 47,606.7 tonnes of coffee, a 43.59% year-on-year increase that pushed its annual earnings beyond USD 2 billion. The milestone underscores the region’s increasing global competitiveness, driven by investments in quality, sustainability, and value addition.
Uganda’s achievement is part of a broader East African effort to elevate the coffee sector through strategic regional cooperation and international market engagement. The EU-EAC MARKUP II project, funded by the European Union, has brought together key agencies from across the region: Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Burundi’s Office for the Development of Coffee (ODECA), Kenya’s Coffee Directorate (KCD), the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), and Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
Through the project, nearly 40 coffee companies, including five from Uganda, showcased their products at the World of Coffee 2025 expo in Geneva (26–28 June). The goal is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in accessing new markets and adding value to their products, while strengthening the region’s presence in the global coffee trade.
Speaking during a high-level side event hosted by the International Trade Centre (ITC) on 24th June, global and regional leaders emphasized the importance of SMEs and smallholder farmers, who produce nearly 80% of the world’s coffee, in building sustainable and inclusive coffee value chains.
“Uganda reaffirms its ambitious commitment to transform its export trajectory, from US$50 billion to US$500 billion through strategic value addition,” he said. “Coffee will be one of the primary drivers for achieving this target, reinforcing not only our economic competitiveness but also our national transformation agenda. Additionally, the Government of Uganda has set aside US$100 million to support investment in the gradual transition of the coffee sector from green bean export to both green bean and soluble coffee exports in a bid to generate more revenue and income for the farmers and the country as a whole.”
In a separate meeting with ITC’s Deputy Executive Director, Hon. Bwino explored opportunities for regional collaboration in adopting advanced agricultural technologies and practices, including science and technology transfer to increase productivity sustainably, an initiative positively received by ITC leadership.
Source: Kilimonews