Uganda is known widely as ‘the Pearl of Africa’ for its magnificent fauna and flora, the latter of which includes the country’s export of coffee; the most representative in the African continent. The quality of Ugandan coffee is exploring new levels thanks to the balance that has been found between production volume and technicalities. But how did that happen? In this article we will explore the reasons for Uganda’s success in coffee production, as well as the story behind each bean.
Uganda’s Coffee Growing History
Robusta has been the main coffee export of Uganda throughout the country’s history, and for good reason: it originally grew native to the beautiful Lake Victoria, where it was cultivated by the local Baganda people and used for cultural ceremonies, along with its supposed medicinal factors.
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century, during British colonial rule, that British authorities introduced Arabica seeds in the Entebbe area, the headquarters of the government at that time. Though Arabica was highly profitable because of its subtle, varied flavours, the weakness to diseases, impurities, defects and climate change diminished its harvest, thus preventing the wider uptake of Arabica coffee as an exported crop.
Is Ugandan Coffee Good?
Traditionally Uganda is recognised as a Robusta producing origin. However, though the quantities of Arabica coffee produced are smaller, they are matched by the distinctive flavour properties of the area. The most outstanding cups of Ugandan coffee are sweet, full of dark fruits, and have a clean finish.
One of Uganda’s advantages is their ‘flycrops’, a smaller secondary harvest that affords producers the time to experiment with natural processes and extensive drying, coaxing out the characteristics that larger, busier harvests sometimes aren’t able to highlight. The qualities of this crop are a journey between the malolactic acidity of the wine, a more powerful body, heavy fruity notes, and the distinctive taste of chocolate.
Coffee Farming in Uganda
To grow coffee you need two things: a warm climate, and altitude. Uganda, naturally, has a tropical climate with two rainy seasons, and areas of higher land that range from 1600 to 2100 metres above sea level. This is important as Arabica coffee is more susceptible to disease and pests than Robusta, and one of the easier methods of avoiding this is by growing Arabica at higher altitudes, where disease and pests can’t survive.
Of course, most farmers tend to divide their land, and plant a range of crops with different harvesting times. This way they can receive income at intervals throughout the year, rather than getting a bulk sum all at once. Some farmers may choose to grow food crops that they themselves can eat for reasons of self sufficiency.
Like many other African countries, Arabica coffee is harvested by hand to ensure that only the ripest cherries are picked. Likewise, processing equipment tends to be small-scale, with cherries being continuously hand-sorted throughout each process to remove as many defects as possible. The more manual approach is due to the fact that much of Uganda’s coffee comes from smallholder farms that pool their harvests together in local cooperatives.