East African nation Uganda plans to increase coffee production to 12 million 60kg bags per annum, as part of a strategy to cash in on the growing global coffee consumption and increase export earnings.
President Yoweri Museveni, speaking to a delegation from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), said that part of the national strategy is to replace old trees with new ones.
He added that the country is exploiting opportunities for value addition for its coffee in order to maximize returns.
At least 20 million high yielding new coffee trees are expected to be planted every year up to 2020 to meet the production target.
According to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, the country's coffee exports rose 54% year-on-year in January 2013 to 348,152 60kg bags due to favorable weather and improved transport.
ICO executive director Roberio Oliveira Silva said that the global coffee consumption is projected to continue increasing and urged the coffee producing countries to produce more in order to meet the demand.
