African coffee growth reaches all-time high
Coffee production in Africa has now reached it’s highest level ever, with the two largest producers of our coffee beans – Ethiopia and Uganda – breaking the record set 20-years ago.
Welcome news, this increased growth will be like music to the ears of the true coffee connoisseurs, distributors and roasters all over the globe who rely on the growers within these regions to earn a living.
Production looks set to reach a massive 10.9 million bags for the year 2017-2018, as confirmed by a US Department of Agriculture foreign staff estimator.
Uganda is expected to see the biggest rise in coffee production, despite pushes by the Ethiopian government to increase output even further.
The Ethiopian government’s Growth Plan II initiative was unveiled last year, in a bid to more than double coffee output over the next five years by approximately 1-million tonnes or 16.7-million bags.
Ugandan coffee-growing revolution
Ugandan coffee production has remained steady and is expected to rise yet again to an estimated 4.35-million bags for the year 2017-18.
This will surpass the original record that has stood since 1996-97, with US officials highlighting the efforts taken by the Ugandan government to aid growers over the past five years.
The drive has been “aimed at increasing yields through the adoption of improved varieties by farmers, increasing the efficiency of farm inputs supply, and the revamping of agricultural extension services.”
Since 2011-12, Ugandan coffee production has risen by an astonishing 37%. A great deal of this can be attributed to the significant increase in Arabica coffee output, as plantations and growers have favoured in reseeding efforts.
Empowering and profiting all regions of the country, this revolution is felt even here at Caffe Society, where we have seen an influx in the availability of quality single-origin beans from the African subcontinent – we even currently stock one of the finest examples in the form of the Women’s Gumutindo Cooperative coffee.
Farmers like Oliva Kishero have been given a platform to grow some of the finest examples of Ugandan Arabica that is currently available on the coffee market.
With government investment and aid, surely we can only see a huge increase in the popularity of African coffee in the years to come?
Either way, if you would like to try one of Africa’s finest single-origin coffee exports, then be sure to taste our Gumutindo Union coffee from Oliva Kishero herself – she’s kind of a rockstar as we’re concerned.