Leading coffee exporters on Ugandan market named

Data from Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) shows that only 10 of 61 companies that deal in Uganda’s coffee business exported up to 70 percent of the total volume of the commodity in March 2024. 
 
The UCDA figures show that the top 10 companies and others exported a total of 5.90 million bags worth $993.63 million (about Shs3.8 Trillion) from April 2023 to March 2024, compared to 5.76 million bags worth $849.86 million (about Shs3.2 trillion) shipped out the previous year. 

In March 2024, the country exported a total of 329,686 bags of 60kg weight of coffee valued at $64.74 million (about Shs245.5 billion). Each kilo sold at an average $3.27, about US cents 10 higher than in February 2024.
 
This volume comprised 244,975 bags of Robusta valued at $46.01 million (Shs174.5 billion) and 84,711 bags of Arabica valued at $18.72 million (Shs71billion). 

Last year in March, a kilo of the commodity sold at $2.44, meaning it fetched US cents 83 lower than for the same period in 2024.
 

UCDA says this represents increases of 2.42 percent in quantity and 16.91 percent in value. 
 
The same data shows that farm-gate prices for Robusta Kiboko averaged Shs5,100 per kilo; FAQ Shs10,750 per kilo; Arabica parchment Shs11,500 per kilo and Drugar Shs10,500 per kilo. 
 
“Sustainable Arabica Fully Washed Sipi Falls fetched the highest price at $4.70 (Shs17,800) per kilo,” the monthly coffee export report shows. 
 
The report says the monthly coffee export volume was lower than the previous year in the Elgon region because of poor harvest, delays in the onset of the harvest season and shortage of shipping containers. 
 
But who are these big players behind the coffee business in Uganda? 
 
Existing records from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), accessed on Monday, show that all the companies exporting Uganda’s coffee started business after President Museveni took power in 1986, with the last major player starting out in 2015. 

Big players
Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd that had the highest market share of 10.21 percent of the coffee export market  is owned by ED & F Man Commodities with one share, and Volcafe Ltd that holds 62,259,049 shares . 

The company’s directors include Makau Ashington, Njenga Mpalampa, Jeremy Msariri, Auxillia Scharrer, Tim Anthony, and Wenger Weber Melvin. 
 
Monitor was unable to get the shareholder details of Olam Uganda at the URSB as our search yielded no results of the company shareholders. The company holds 8.64 percent of the export value of Uganda’s coffee. 
 
Kawacom (U) Ltd takes up the third share of the market export volume with 7.86 percent.  It has Falconer Andrew David Hay with two shares, and Ecom Agro Industrial Corporation Ltd with 98 shares as its shareholders. 

Its directors include Baguma Richard, De Kerchove D’exaerde, Renaud Charles, Egaddu Emmanuel, and Amocha Lugone Roy. 
 
Ibero (U) Ltd with 7.33 percent share of Ugandan coffee is owned by Haroca Holding Ag, with 84,999 shares and Colombras Invest Ag with only one share, with directors listed as Kindler Urs, Michalak Jochen, and Sievers Marten. 
 
Touton Uganda Ltd holds 7.18 percent share of the coffee export and is owned by Deboussac Patrick with one share and Touton Far East Pte Ltd with 99 shares. The directors include De - Boussac Patrick and Lieutard Olivier. 
 
Louis Dreyfus (U) Ltd, which has 6.81 percent share of the export market, is owned by Louis Dreyfus Company Participations Bv, with 1,000 shares, and Louis Dreyfus Company Means Trading Dmcc, with 9,000 shares. The directors include Alexanera Mareka, Dietz Jan, Christoph Kabath, Jean Alain, and Herve Sahores. 
 
Export Trading Company (U) Ltd, with 6.45 percent share of the coffee export market as of March 2024, is owned by Patel Maheshkumar Raojibhai, with one share, and ETC Group with 656,710 shares. The directors are Patel Bharatkumar Raojibhai, Patel Birju Pradipkumar and Patel Maheshkumar Raojibhai. 
 
This publication was also unable to get the company details of Ideal Quality Commodities Ltd, which owns 5.69% shares of the exports. 

Ugacof (U) Ltd, which has 5.57 percent share of the coffee export market, is owned by Shonubi Senkatuka with a single share, while Cofco Ltd has 99 Shares. Its directors are Shonubi Senkatuka and Waweru Robert Kamunya. 
 
Louis Dreyfus Company Uganda Ltd is owned by Louis Dreyfus Company Participations Bv, with 1,000 shares and Louis Dreyfus Company Means Trading Dmcc with 9,000 shares and its directors include Alexanera Mareka Dietz, Jan Christoph Kabath, and Jean Alain Herve Sahores. 
 
Besmark Coffee Company Ltd, the last of the big 10 coffee exporters, with 4.01 percent share of the market, is owned by Sabiiti Bernard with 70 shares and Kyokunda Marion with 30 shares. The two are also the company directors. 

Amount of money earned from bags of exported coffee