Uganda’s coffee market is showing mixed price movements as Robusta strengthened slightly on the international market while Arabica prices continued to slide, according to the latest coffee market analysis for Friday, October 2, 2026.
London Robusta futures closed mixed on Thursday, with the November 2026 contract gaining US$3 per tonne to reach US$3,448 per tonne, equivalent to about UGX13,626 per kilogram.
However, gains in the near-term contract were offset by declines in later positions. The January 2027 contract fell US$19 to US$3,403 per tonne, while March, May and July positions dropped by US$31, US$36 and US$39 respectively.
The report attributed the mixed Robusta performance partly to improved weather conditions in Vietnam, where rains have improved soil moisture in the Central Highlands, the country’s largest coffee-producing region. The improved moisture is expected to support coffee cherry development.
Arabica prices under pressure
Arabica, meanwhile, recorded a broader decline on the New York market.
The December 2026 Arabica contract closed at 288.25 US cents per pound, down 2.45 US cents, translating to approximately UGX25,171 per kilogram.
The decline extended across subsequent contracts, with March 2027 falling 3.05 cents to 279.60 cents per pound, May declining 3.45 cents to 276.40 cents, and July dropping 3.65 cents to 274.35 cents per pound.
The market report linked the pressure on Arabica prices to a stronger US dollar. The dollar index reached a year high, prompting liquidation of coffee futures positions.
Favourable growing conditions in major coffee-producing countries Brazil and Vietnam were also cited as factors weighing on prices.
Uganda farm-gate prices
Despite the movements on international exchanges, local farm-gate prices remained relatively firm across Uganda’s main coffee categories.
FAQ coffee was trading between UGX12,000 and UGX13,000 per kilogram, while Kiboko was fetching between UGX5,000 and UGX6,000 per kilogram.
Arabica parchment was trading at UGX15,000–16,000 per kilogram, while clean Drugar was fetching between UGX14,500 and UGX15,000 per kilogram.
The report also provided indicative prices based on registered sales on October 1. Robusta Screen 18 stood at UGX15,084 per kilogram, Screen 15 at UGX14,648, and Screen 12 at UGX14,386.
For Arabica, Bugisu AA was indicated at UGX24,735 per kilogram, Bugisu A and PB at UGX24,647, Bugisu B at UGX24,473, Wugar at UGX24,560, and Drugar at UGX22,901 per kilogram.
Registered sales also recorded significant Robusta volumes, with 4,871 60-kilogram bags of Screen 18, 5,693 bags of Screen 15 and 3,145 bags of Screen 12 listed in the report. Drugar Arabica recorded 4,521 60-kilogram bags.
The latest figures underline the contrasting forces shaping Uganda’s coffee sector: Robusta’s immediate international benchmark received a modest boost, while Arabica remained under pressure from currency movements and favourable global growing conditions.
For Ugandan farmers, however, the farm-gate figures show that coffee continues to command substantial prices, particularly for higher-quality Arabica grades.
