Uganda seeks Vietnam’s coffee expertise to boost yields, strengthen exports

UGANDA – Uganda is seeking Vietnam’s coffee expertise to boost productivity in its coffee sector, as the two countries work to strengthen trade and investment ties after more than five decades of diplomatic relations. 

Uganda has appealed to Vietnam, the world’s second-largest coffee producer, to support efforts to improve coffee yields and strengthen the livelihoods of millions of farmers while increasing the country’s competitiveness in global markets. 

The call was made during the three-day Uganda–Vietnam Business Forum in Hanoi, which concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support Uganda’s coffee value chain. 

The agreement is expected to promote knowledge transfer, technology adoption and sustainable coffee production. It also reflects efforts by the two countries to deepen South-South cooperation through trade, investment and the exchange of expertise. 

Coffee remains central to Uganda’s economic ambitions. The country is Africa’s largest producer of Robusta coffee, but its productivity remains below that of Vietnam. 

Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze said Vietnamese farmers harvest an average of 3.5 tonnes of coffee per hectare, compared with about one tonne or less in Uganda. 

The partnership comes as Uganda’s coffee sector faces pressure from declining global prices and increased supplies from major producing countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Coffee export earnings fell to US$150.8 million in April, from US$214.4 million during the same period last year. 

Tumwebaze said the agreement would ultimately be judged by its impact on farmers. 

“An MoU means nothing if a farmer doesn’t see a better price next season. That is the test,” he said. 

The partnership will also involve sustainable trade organisation IDH, which will support efforts to promote environmentally friendly and deforestation-free coffee production. 

Trade between Uganda and Vietnam has expanded rapidly, increasing from US$22.1 million in 2024 to approximately $95.5 million last year, according to official figures. 

Uganda exported nearly $50 million worth of coffee, cotton and meat to Vietnam, while imports from Vietnam reached about $46 million and included animal feed, cement clinker, garments and footwear. 

Officials from both countries said economic cooperation had not yet matched the strength of their longstanding political relations and expressed optimism that the business forum would accelerate commercial engagement. 

Uganda also presented itself as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), offering Vietnamese companies access to a market of 1.4 billion people as well as neighbouring markets including Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The coffee agreement is expected to provide a framework for technical cooperation, technology transfer and sustainable value-chain development between Uganda and Vietnam. 

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