Uganda showcases at Coffee and Tea EXPO in Moscow
Ugandan coffee in Russia – In an effort to broaden the reach and popularity of Uganda’s coffee in Russia, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) in collaboration with the Embassy of Uganda showcased Ugandan local coffee varieties at the Coffee and Tea Expo in Moscow.
The UCDA team that represented Uganda at the Expo included board member Haji Ishak Lukenge and
Samson Mpiira Akankiza, the coffee sustainability manager at UCDA. The team participated in a cupping
event, which exposed the black gold of Uganda.
The annual event attracted coffee and tea lovers, consumers, buyers and other stakeholders in the industry from different countries.
The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a statement;
It was a great platform for Uganda to showcase coffee and tea and to seek partnerships and business opportunities.
Ugandan coffee has been promoted in Russia in a bid to increase Uganda’s market share in one of the
country’s with the largest per capita coffee consumption.
According to the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Manufacturers (RusTeaCoffee), the coffee market in Russia was worth $750m in 2001 but is now worth over $2.5b. It is estimated that every Russian consumes at least 1.7kg or more than 120 cups of coffee per year, making it a vibrant market for Ugandan exports.
Ugandan Coffee industry has been suffering from problems like low-grade coffee seedlings, low production and poor quality products for a while.
Most recently, some local farmers and coffee dealers have had discussions with the UCDA to find solutions to the industry problems and have a wider international market. The UCDA organization is making substantial effort to broaden the country’s international market.
The Government of Uganda is anticipating production of coffee in the country to increase to 20 million bags of coffee annually by 2030, which is expected to rack in revenues of between $1.5-2.2b in export earnings per year.
Export markets in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Russia shall play an important part in reaching the set goal.
