Uganda targets Türkiye’s growing coffee market through new trade partnership

May 9, 2026 in Business, Land & Agriculture, Trade & Industry by Editor

 

Uganda is deepening its coffee trade ambitions in Türkiye through a new partnership aimed at expanding exports, strengthening market access and positioning Ugandan coffee within the growing specialty coffee market.

 

Uganda is stepping up efforts to expand its global coffee footprint after launching a strategic partnership with Turkish coffee company Kafe Kavil aimed at boosting exports and strengthening trade links with Türkiye.

The partnership was unveiled during a coffee cupping and trade engagement hosted by the Embassy of Uganda in Ankara and Kafe Kavil in Ankara, bringing together importers, speciality roasters, investors and coffee professionals to sample Ugandan Arabica and Robusta varieties.

The initiative forms part of Uganda’s broader push to deepen direct market access and position itself as a competitive origin in the global speciality coffee industry.

Officials say Türkiye is emerging as an increasingly important non-traditional market for Ugandan coffee, with exports rising sharply from about 2,304 bags in 2024 to nearly 15,037 bags in 2025 amid growing demand for origin-focused and speciality coffees.

Representing the Minister of State for Agriculture, Aacha Mary Orikiriza, the Undersecretary at Uganda’s mission to Turkey, described coffee as one of Uganda’s most strategic export commodities and a key driver of economic growth.

“Uganda is strengthening its presence in emerging coffee markets through partnerships that create direct engagement between producers, buyers and consumers,” she said.

Uganda currently produces about 558 million kilograms of coffee annually and is targeting production of more than 1.2 billion killograms by 2030 under the National Coffee Planting Programme.

Gordon Katwirenabo, Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance and Value Addition, said Uganda’s ability to supply both Arabica and Robusta coffee throughout the year gives it a competitive advantage in international markets.

He said coffees from the Mount Elgon and Rwenzori Mountains regions continue to attract interest because of their distinctive flavour profiles and quality consistency.

Uganda’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Nusura Tiperu, said the partnership represents a broader effort to strengthen economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

“This partnership creates a direct platform to showcase Uganda’s coffee, culture and investment potential to Turkish consumers and businesses,” she said.

Officials say the collaboration could also create opportunities across the coffee value chain, including roasting, certification, hospitality, retail distribution and value addition.

According to Kafe Kavil Managing Director Akif Atli, demand within Türkiye’s coffee sector is increasingly shifting toward traceable, high-quality and sustainably sourced coffees.

“We see strong potential for long-term collaboration between Turkish and Ugandan coffee communities,” he said.

The initiative comes as Uganda intensifies efforts to diversify export markets and increase value addition within its coffee sector, which remains the country’s leading foreign exchange earner.

Analysts say partnerships that connect Ugandan producers directly to speciality coffee buyers could help the country capture higher export value while strengthening its position in emerging global coffee markets.