Uganda coffee exports dropped 9 pct yr/yr in August: regulator

Coffee beans are seen at a Nairobi Java House outlet in Nairobi January 21, 2012. REUTERS/Noor Khamis

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's coffee exports declined 9 percent in August, from the same month last year, due to harsh weather, the sector regulator Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a report on Monday. Coffee is Uganda's single largest commodity exports and earnings are a key source of foreign exchange for the east African country. UCDA said shipments were 291,059 60-kilogram bags, down from 320,297 bags exported in August last year. The report said some of the coffee growing areas had experienced dry weather conditions and the crop "was observed to suffer from water stress." (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa)