Uganda Harvest Update

The Origins of Quality Arabica

Beginning in the early 1990s, the coffee industry in Uganda was liberalized and more companies began investing in quality Arabica production in Uganda, However, most of that investment took place in Mount Elgon in the East and the Rwenzori mountains in the West. These locations were an easy first choice because, in the east, the fertile volcanic soil surrounding Mount Elgon volcano makes for productive coffee farms, and to the west, the Rwenzori mountains offer high altitudes perfect for Arabica.

In much of the rest of Uganda, the lack of formal infrastructure meant that farmers had few choices but to produce home processed naturals, known locally as DRUGAR (Dry Ugandan Arabica: A type of Natural process where farmers dry unsorted cherry on the ground in the small spaces they have available to them) and WUGAR (the semi-washed version of DRUGAR).

Today, as the specialty coffee industry’s appetite for high-quality East African coffees keeps growing, it’s a logical step to invest in processing infrastructure across Uganda. Sucafina Uganda is doing just that, and supporting farming partners along the way.

Expanding Capacity

“We’re making investments in infrastructure and producing high-quality coffees in Western Uganda. Specialty buyers are surprised by the quality we’re producing,” explains Darshit Shah, Arabica Project Manager at Sucafina Uganda. “We’re seeing strong demands for our Fully washed and Natural lots. Buyers love the balanced and uniform profile of our coffees.”

Since 2020, Sucafina Uganda has been investing in coffee washing stations with state-of-the-art infrastructure in coffee processing. “As we scale our infrastructure investments for vertical integration, we are able to have end-to-end control over our operations. This enables us to maintain the highest quality while implementing the highest sustainability standards.” Darshit says. “We’re drawing from knowledge and expertise from Sucafina’s other origins and fine tuning that to local complexities.”  

High Expectations, Quality Coffees

As the year continues, roasters can expect more availability of high-quality Ugandan coffees, Darshit says. With the investments in the supply chain, Sucafina Uganda is able to ensure year-round availability for high-quality Ugandan Arabica coffees. 

One example is the new Sucafina Original, Engeya, which promises a unique and balanced profile that’s available year-round. Engeya is perfect for a single-origin offering or as a component in a blend. It’s accessibility and high quality is due to our vertically integrated supply chain, which enables us to ensure consistency and quality.

Overall, Ugandan coffees offer a great profile at a spectacular value. We’re producing high-quality Fully washed, Natural and Honey coffees at our washing stations in Western Uganda. You can expect acidity, bright, fruity notes and a balanced and uniform profile.  Contact your trader to learn more and book some spectacular Ugandan coffees.