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Uganda

In a market where two big multinational players dominate, local Ugandan companies are fighting for their share. They offer everything from commercial-grade to high-quality Arabica and Robusta. The "Pearl of Africa" is gearing up to become the next roastery staple.

Uganda has coffees to suit all needs, from commercial-grades and lower-end specialty coffees to high-quality micro-lots and organic-certified lots. While most coffee from this country ends up on supermarket shelves with no traceability, roasters sourcing on Algrano get direct access to producers and the organisations representing them.

Verified Sellers from

Uganda

Discover the right supplier for your roastery, from innovative farmers and independent exporters to certified cooperatives. Volume lots, micro-lots, blends or single varieties... You'll find what you're looking for.

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Mountain Harvest

Granja individual, Grupo de granjas, Estación de lavado, Exportador
Q Certified, Q Certified, IWCA, SCA Member, Organic

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Mt Elgon Agroforestry Communities Cooperative Enterprise Ltd

Cooperative
FairTrade, FairTrade, Organic

Mt Elgon Agroforestry Communities Cooperative Enterprise Ltd (MEACCE) is a farmer- owned Secondary Level Cooperative owned by 11 primaries with a combined membership of 3,033 farmers (600 females) that produces certified Fairtrade and Organic Washed Bugisu Arabica Coffee grown on the slopes of Mt Elgon with the mandate to increase farmer household income. Our predominately Agroforestry community farmers grow coffee at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 2,100 meters above sea level under canopies of the indigenous trees and bananas. Our farmers use compost from small holdings assisted by animals and we also strive to understand how various farm and processing methods influence the quality of the cup. Coffees are farmed in traditional ways, with the help of agronomy training to get the best cup results. Our cup score profiles 84+points with unique attributes of Citrus Fruit, Dark Chocolate, Floral, Fresh bread, Tropical Fruit, Brown spices, brown sugar, medium acidity, good round body, clean, well balance and sweet aftertaste. We offer full traceability of all our coffees, from farm to cup. This way, we can bring unique and interesting coffees that fit our buyers’ preferences. We are conscious of Climate change and Gender justice and therefore we are implementing various programs to address challenges associated with the two phenomena above.

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Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union Limited

Cooperative
FairTrade

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Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise Ltd

Cooperative
FairTrade

Our coffee is always got from smallholder farmers where it is naturally grown organically and on volcanic soils with a high altitude (1500-2500 above sea level) and we emphasis quality as our specialty as a cooperative. We use the cooperative model in terms of bulking and we process it by ourselves.

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Zukuka Bora Coffee Company

Association

We are Zukuka Bora Coffee Company and are now entering our fourth year of operation. We are absolutely, 100% convinced that this project is necessary and important. Establishing a fair and transparent business – with its aim to benefit some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world – is having such an impact on Mt Elgon. It provides employment to more than 100 people, it provides a good and fair return for more than 625 farmers’ produce, and it genuinely provides hope in the community. This is not about hand-outs, but about ensuring dignity and empowering every farmer and every person involved. It’s also about creating jobs and having a knock-on impact on a whole range of supporting industries – whether carpenters, labourers, truck drivers, factory workers. We’re seeing a whole wider industry waking up to the potential of a well-run specialty coffee enterprise. We'd love you to join us, partner with us, in making a positive impact here in beautiful Uganda.

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Agri Evolve Uganda

Exporter
Rainforest Alliance

Agri Evolve was established in 2015, with the vision to have a significant impact on the development of agriculture business in East Africa for the benefit of farmers, their families, and their communities. Over the past 7 years, Agri Evolve have been working with a network of 15,000 smallholder coffee farmers in the Rwenzori region, so far 7,502 of which are RFA certified farmers. Agri Evolve works closely with the full supply chain from supporting farmers with trainings, inputs, resources to buying and processing 3000MT export coffee per year. Agri Evolve encourages diversification among small holder farmers, and has this year successfully supported farmers with a fair, transparent Vanilla market. Agri Evolve prides itself on our field presence, service to farmers and value addition to agricultural products. Agri Evolve is pending B-Corp certification, a standard which evaluates a company’s impact on all stakeholders and marks recognition of a company meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. We have a team of 60 full time staff, 25 dedicated field team that work directly with the sourcing partners on a day-to-day basis. This model works continually towards improving rural livelihoods via a focus on developing and supporting an efficient value chain to drive sustainable agricultural production.

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Kikobero Coffee Company (KCC) limited

Other

At KCC, we look after the process of our coffee carefully from the garden to the handpicking of red cherries to pulping, fermentation, washing, drying, milling and grading of coffee green beans to ensure a cup of excellence for our customers.

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Nasaaga Speciality Coffee Foundation

Group of Farms
Organic, Organic

Uganda is home to more smallholder coffee farmers than any other coffee-producing country. With 1,7 million family farms, each averaging about a quarter hectare, coffee farming here relies heavily on family work. Most of these farms grow Robusta, native to Uganda, while around 300,000 farmers grow Arabica. The Arabica farms are located at opposite ends of the country: Mount Rwenzori in the West and Mount Elgon in the East.

Smallholder farms in Uganda are mostly subsistence-based, intercropping coffee with bananas, maize, rice, and other staples. These farms often can't afford fertilisers or pesticides, making the crops passively organic. Mid-sized farms and commercial plantations also exist and have more resources for inputs and training. Medium-size farms are the ones that most contribute to the specialty Arabica segment.

An origin on the rise

Uganda ranks as the 8th largest coffee producer globally and the second largest in Africa, right behind Ethiopia. However, Uganda outperforms Ethiopia in exports, sending millions of bags of Robusta abroad, especially to Germany and Italy. Despite its global market share of just 3.3%, this coffee is gaining attention, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and shipping crisis made Vietnamese Robusta less accessible. This newfound visibility is boosting Arabica production too.

Nearly all of Uganda’s 112 districts grow coffee, but only 20% of exports are Arabica. While Mount Rwenzori first caught roasters' eyes for its quality, Mount Elgon gets more extension services, input suppliers and development projects, making the region attractive to quality-focused processing facilities and helping it stand out in the specialty coffee market.

Local market snapshot

Uganda's coffee sector is unique, with a privatised market and no auction system. This setup has been in place since the collapse of the last International Coffee Agreement in 1989 and the subsequent deregulation in the 90s. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) oversees quality control, grading, cupping, and classifying of all lots before shipping.

Most coffee from Uganda ends up in regional blends on supermarket shelves with no traceability. That’s due to low futures prices on the NY exchange: commercial Arabica trades up to 40% below other milds. Yet, this is a vital crop for the country’s economy and generates 15% of all export earnings. 

The sector is dominated by large multinational companies like ECOM and Volcafe. While these companies have driven the development of high-quality Arabica, local companies are striving to increase their presence and market share. Algrano partners with such local entities to bring more Ugandan Arabica and high-quality Robusta to roasters.

Unique flavours and opportunities

Referred to as the "pearl of Africa" by Winston Churchill, Uganda has the potential to become a staple origin for most roasters. Specialty Arabica from Uganda offers a spectrum of flavours, from delicate and tea-like with bright citric acidity to complex, winey profiles with a dry, boozy quality. Supporting Ugandan coffee means backing smallholders, many of whom produce coffee organically and face significant operational challenges.

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“I don’t grow coffee in NY”: Ugandan producers on prices and the new crop

“I don’t grow coffee in NY”: Ugandan producers on prices and the new crop

November 13, 2024
Luiza Pereira Furquim

Uganda’s Arabica harvest is here, though volumes are down thanks to unpredictable weather. Local exporters are going head-to-head with big traders, supporting farmers with skills and resources. Learn how Uganda’s pricing dynamics impact sustainable sourcing.

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