Uganda expects its 2010-11 (October-September) coffee output to be 3.1 million 60-kg bags, compared with 2.7 million bags in 2009-10, lifted by good weather, a source at the Uganda Coffee Development Authority said on Friday. The east African country is one of the continent's major exporters and mainly produces Robusta beans. It is Uganda's top commodity export and a key earner of foreign exchange.
"Since 2010 has on average had good weather, already the rainy season has started in time for flowering for the early 2011 crop, I think we'll have a good output. We're currently looking at exporting about 3.1 million bags," the source told Reuters. The source added that Uganda expected to export 200,000 60-kg bags in September, from 217,284 bags in August. August's exports fetched $23 million.