The 2020 Uganda-Saudi Arabia virtual coffee expo has highlighted the need to increase Uganda’s exports as the country focuses on producing 20m bags of coffee by the year 2030. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its international relations is targeting to increase Uganda’s coffee and coffee husks exports to Saudi Arabia, citing an increase in the demand for coffee.
Foreign Affairs Minister, General Abubaker Jeje Odongo says Uganda’s coffee exports to Saudi Arabia is still low yet the market is growing more and more available.
Uganda exported a record 6.08m million coffee bags in the financial year 2020/2021 which is worth 559m USA dollars, the highest in 30 years.
The figures according to Uganda’s foreign affairs minister General Jeje Odongo feels the country can increase its export volumes.
He was speaking at the Uganda – Saudi Arabia Virtual coffee expo at the ministry of foreign affairs headquarters in Kampala, where he asked Ugandans to tap into the Saudi Arabia market.
“Exports of coffee and coffee hasks to Saudi Arabia is only a paltry 419,000 US Dollars as we realised in the year 2020, we need to improve on this,” he said.
Ugandan exports of coffee and coffee husks to Saudi Arabia stood at around 400 USA dollars. Exports of coffee and coffee husks to Saudi Arabia still remain low with the government of Uganda now aiming at tapping into the Saudi market.
According to Nelson Tugume the Chief Executive officer of Inspire Africa Coffee, coffee exports will keep increasing given the market.
“We went to the UN and tested the coffee with lots of ambassadors in Asia, in the Middle East and they said this is the best African coffee we can ever have,”
