Uganda is undergoing a significant transformation in its coffee sector, marked by a 17.3% year-on-year increase in export volumes in February and annual earnings estimated at $2.5 billion. This growth signals a shift beyond participation in the global coffee trade towards a more influential role, driven by rising production, sustained global demand, and a long-term strategy focused on scale, policy reform, and market positioning. In February alone, Uganda exported 651,933 60-kg bags, surpassing Ethiopia to become Africa’s leading coffee exporter by volume within that period. Over the past 12 months, export revenues increased from $1.6 billion to $2.5 billion, supported by expanded cultivation, maturing coffee trees, government-backed seedling distribution programmes, strong European demand, and supply disruptions in key producing countries such as Vietnam. Central to this growth is Uganda’s Robusta coffee, which accounts for more than 80% of total output and plays a critical role ...