The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said on Monday that the nation earned 14.835 million U.S. dollars from exports of 180,344 60-kg bags of coffee in December 2005, 19.94 percent more than that of 12.369 million dollars in the same month in 2004.

Uganda exported 237,406 60-kg bags of coffee in December 2004.

The UCDA attributed to the value increase to price at world coffee markets, saying that "the average export price rose from 132 U.S. cents per kg in November to 137 cents in December." The average price of coffee in December 2004 was only 88 cents.

December is the third month for the coffee year 2005/06 which started in October 2005.

Coffee exports in the first quarter totaled 484,541 bags worth 38.525 million dollars, a drop of 20 percent in volume and a rise of 33 percent in value over the same quarter in 2004.

Coffee exports in January are projected at 200,000 bags.

Source: Xinhua