Uganda Luwero Natural Robusta Scr 18 2024

Robusta Coffee from Uganda

Arabica vs Robusta coffee is a conversation that’s hot – especially with the uptick in specialty Robusta coffees that’s becoming more widely available from various coffee origins.

Around 80% of the coffee grown in Uganda is Coffea canephora, or Robusta coffee. The plant naturally contains more caffeine than Arabica coffee, making it more resistant to pests and diseases. The main advantage of growing Robusta over Arabica coffee is that Robusta thrives at lower altitudes and higher temperatures, with less effort required for cultivation.

With Robusta coffee market prices on the rise many origins are applying best practices in harvesting and processing to Robusta coffee. Thus, Robusta quality and traceability are on the rise. Today, specialty coffee roasters are incorporating Robusta into blends and more producers grow Robusta on their farms as a hedge against climate change.

Natural Process Coffee in Uganda

Historically, Uganda has been known for producing natural process coffees, but much of its green coffee was once dominated by "drugars" (dried Ugandan Arabicas), which were often inconsistent and of poor quality. This led to low earnings for farmers.

Today, new receiving stations like the ones in Kisinga and Bugoye have revolutionized the coffee collection process. Improvements in coffee collection and processing are yielding higher quality green coffee beans and have enabled farmers to earn much better prices than they were accustomed to with "drugars".

In the natural process, only the ripest coffee cherries are harvested, with drying taking up to four weeks. The cherries are dried whole, without removing the fruit, on raised beds under the sun. Regular turning of the coffee ensures even drying, increases airflow, and prevents spoilage. Once dried, the cherries rest in conditioning bins until they are hulled just before shipment.

Uganda Green Coffee

While Ethiopia is Africa's top coffee producer, Uganda stands as the continent's leading exporter of this valuable commodity. Despite this, Uganda has yet to reach its full potential. Advances in farming and processing are helping the region overcome historical socio-economic challenges. Upgrades in quality and new washing stations are significantly improving the lives of smallholder farmers. Learn more in our Uganda Coffee Origin Report.