Uganda's December coffee shipments up 28% - UCDA

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's coffee exports surged 28% in December compared to the same month last year, boosted by higher yields from newly maturing coffee trees, the state-run Uganda Coffee Development Authority said in a report.

The east African country shipped 536,889 60-kg bags of coffee during the month, up 28% from a year earlier, UCDA said in a report seen by Reuters on Friday.

"Increasing coffee exports during the month compared to the

previous year was due to newly planted coffee which started

yielding, supported by favorable weather," the report said.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Ayenat Mersie)