16. Uganda – Mubuku Drugar

Mubuku Washing Station sits beside the Mubuku River in western Uganda, close to the Rwenzori Mountains. The landscape is dramatic. The river descends from the high Rwenzoris through fertile agricultural land before continuing towards Lake George.

More than 4,300 smallholder farmers contribute coffee through the Mubuku network. The farms are scattered across a huge mountainous area, which creates a major logistical challenge. Ripe coffee cherry begins to deteriorate relatively quickly after harvesting, but steep dirt roads and wet weather can make reaching the central washing station difficult.

To address this, the project operates around 25 local collection sites. Farmers can deliver cherries closer to home, where trained contact farmers inspect the crop, float cherries to check density and assess quality. Producers who are struggling to meet the required standard can also receive additional training. Cherry is then moved from the collection sites to the main station each day.

Investment in processing has increased Mubuku’s capacity to produce washed, natural and honey coffees and also provides scope for experimentation.

SL14 varietal is particularly interesting because it was selected in East Africa for its performance in local growing conditions and has become strongly associated with Ugandan Arabica production.