Uganda’s coffee exports fell 15.1% in July from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, amid severe drought that has affected farming in parts of the country.

The East African nation, Africa’s largest coffee exporter, shipped 846,376 60-kilogram bags in July, down from 997,105 bags exported in the same month last year.

The ministry did not give a reason for the decline, although prolonged drought has ravaged large parts of Uganda in recent months, damaging farmland and threatening agricultural output.

Coffee, along with gold, is among Uganda’s leading commodity exports and a major source of foreign exchange.

July drop

In value terms, Uganda earned $204.1 million from coffee exports in July, 18.6% less than the $250.7 million earned in the corresponding month a year earlier.

The July decline comes after Uganda reported stronger coffee export performance earlier in the year. In March, coffee exports rose 2.9% year-on-year to 671,152 bags, supported by a good harvest.

Coffee exports have become an increasingly important source of foreign currency for Uganda. In the 12 months to March, the country earned $2.4 billion from coffee exports, up from $1.8 billion in the previous 12-month period, according to the agriculture ministry.

Uganda is Africa’s biggest coffee exporter, followed by Ethiopia, with the commodity playing a key role in the country’s export earnings.