UGANDAN coffee exports have dropped by more than 50% in the first month of the new coffee season, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in its monthly report. The report said Uganda only managed to export 138 760 bags of 60kg each in October, compared to 225 025 bags exported the same month during the last coffee season that ended on September 30. The shipment earned only $5.5m, compared to $13.5m earned over the same period last coffee season, representing a drop of 38.3 and 59.15% in volume and value, respectively. The report blamed the decline mainly on low world coffee prices, which have seen almost 40% of exporters drop out of the business, while those still remaining have scaled down on their activities. – AFP