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Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Mango, Winey, Concord Grape, Dark Chocolate

Roast: light

Varietal: Tipica, SL14, SL28

Process: Natural

Coffee From Rwenzori Mountains

The Rwenzori mountain range, also known as the Mountains of the Moon, is emerging as a prominent source of consistently high-quality Ugandan green coffee. Nestled along the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this region benefits from fertile soil and ideal growing conditions. To optimize cherry collection, Genuine Origin's sister company has established receiving stations throughout the mountain range. These cherries are then transported to a centralized wet mill, where they undergo meticulous processing and quality control.

As a landlocked country, Uganda faces logistical challenges in exporting its green coffee. The coffee must first travel through Kenya to reach the port of Mombasa before it can be shipped internationally. Despite these hurdles, Uganda's green coffee is highly sought after, with European countries like Italy and Germany being the top importers. Additionally, government incentives aimed at boosting Arabica coffee production are helping to expand Uganda's market reach, further enhancing the global presence of its coffee industry.

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.