@MinistryofAgricultureEthiopia – Ethiopian Business Review

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In a development that signals a major realignment in Africa’s coffee trade, Uganda has officially surpassed Ethiopia to become the continent’s leading coffee exporter, marking a watershed moment in a market long dominated by Ethiopia’s legacy.

According to the latest figures released at the World of Coffee Geneva 2025 event, Uganda exported a record 47,606.7 tonnes of coffee in May 2025, significantly outpacing Ethiopia’s 43,481 tonnes for the same month. This marks the first time in recent memory that Ethiopia has been outpaced on export volume by a regional competitor.

The data also revealed that Uganda exported 793,445 60kg bags in May alone, a staggering 43.59% increase from the 552,569 bags shipped in May 2024. This performance earned the country USD 243.9 million in a single month, pushing Uganda’s cumulative annual earnings to USD 2.09 billion between June 2024 and May 2025. Over that period, Uganda exported 7.43 million bags, compared to 6.08 million the previous year.

Ethiopia, long celebrated as the birthplace of coffee and Africa’s traditional leader in export volume and quality, finds itself in a more competitive environment than ever before.

Officials from Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries credited the achievement to sustained efforts in boosting coffee quality, expanding production, and enhancing value chain coordination.

Back home, Ethiopian industry leaders have responded with calm optimism. Gizaw Worku, General Manager of the Ethiopian Coffee Association, downplayed the significance of the monthly figures in an interview with Sheger FM.

“Uganda becoming Africa’s top coffee exporter for one month does not surprise us,” Gizaw said. “Monthly export volumes can fluctuate for various reasons—including shipment schedules, international demand cycles, and port logistics. Even Brazil, the world’s largest coffee exporter, faces such monthly variations.”

He emphasized that Ethiopia still leads the continent in total annual exports and added: “As of now, Ethiopia remains Africa’s top coffee exporter when looking at the year as a whole. A temporary spike from another country should not be misinterpreted as a long-term shift.”

However, Gizaw acknowledged Uganda’s recent progress: “Uganda is clearly making strides. They’re investing in coffee sector reforms and expanding their reach in global markets. But for Ethiopia, our strength lies in the premium quality and heritage of our Arabica coffee. What matters is how we maintain consistency, build traceability, and adapt to the global market.”

He also cautioned, “If we see a consistent decline in our monthly exports over several consecutive periods, then that’s when we should raise questions. But for now, this is just a market fluctuation.”

Ethiopia remains Africa’s largest coffee producer, responsible for roughly 559,400 tonnes annually, and accounts for about 17% of the global coffee market. Ethiopia ranks fifth globally in coffee production and holds the eighth position worldwide in coffee exports, shipping approximately 3.76 million 60kg bags per year.

Ethiopia has harvested 1.6 million hectares of wheat from its summer irrigated farming program, with 98 million quintals expected to be produced in the ongoing fall season. The Ministry of Agriculture has already sown 3.5 million hectares of land this year, as part of its efforts to boost national wheat production.

Speaking to ENA, Isayas Lemma, the CEO of Crop Development at the Ministry, highlighted that the country is working to increase both production and productivity by enabling farmers to grow crops throughout the year in the summer, spring, and fall irrigated areas. This strategy is designed to ensure food security and reduce dependence on wheat imports.

The increase in production is attributed to expanding the area covered by seeds, utilizing previously uncultivated land, and applying modern agricultural technology and high-quality seeds. These factors have contributed to higher yields and improved productivity.

This year, Ethiopia plans to produce 172 million quintals of wheat from the summer irrigated cultivation alone, with harvesting already underway for the early-sown crops.

For the fall season, 2 million hectares have been sown out of the 3.7 million hectares planned. The target for fall production is 98 million quintals, in line with Ethiopia’s push for year-round food production and greater agricultural self-sufficiency.

Ethiopia has made significant progress in its fertilizer import strategy, with over 724,965 metric tons (MT) of fertilizer successfully transported into the country. This forms part of the broader plan to secure 2.4 million metric tons (24 million quintals) of fertilizer for the 2025/26 production season, ensuring adequate supplies for the country’s agricultural sector.

By March 12, 2025, a total of 797,463.1 MT of fertilizer had been offloaded from 15 ships at the port of Djibouti. Among these, 9 vessels brought in 512,968 MT of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), while 6 ships delivered 284,495.1 MT of urea.

Of the total amount unloaded, 724,965.2 MT has already been transported into Ethiopia, with the remaining 72,497.9 MT still awaiting transfer at the Djibouti port. The transportation of the fertilizer has been efficiently handled, with dry bulk carriers moving 724,965.2 MT of urea, and rail networks managing the delivery of 610,935.2 MT.

Further shipments are on the horizon, with 227,000 MT of fertilizer—comprising 175,000 MT of DAP from three ships and 52,000 MT of urea from one ship—expected to arrive later this month.

Uganda Tops Ethiopia in Monthly Coffee Exports for First Time

Ethiopia Boosts Wheat Production with 1.6 Million Hectares Harvested and 3.5 Million Hectares Sown

Ethiopia Transports 725,000 MT of Fertilizer with 227,000 MT Set to Arrive This Month