KAMPALA - Uganda's coffee exports fell by 7.8% in May from a year earlier, hurt by a drought that squeezed yields in some parts of the country, a report by a state-run industry regulator showed.

Total shipments last month were 455,166 60-kilogram bags, according to a report by Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

"The decrease in... exports was mainly attributed to lower yields this year that were characterised by drought in some regions. This led to a shorter main harvest season," the report said.

Uganda is Africa's biggest exporter of coffee, followed by Ethiopia, and primarily cultivates the robusta variety.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month forecast Uganda's coffee production in the 2022/23 crop year would hit a record 6.65 million bags due to favourable weather and recently established plantations coming into full production.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Hereward Holland and Jason Neely)