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    Uganda White Nile Natural Organic

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      Uganda White Nile Natural Organic

      $8.00


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      About Uganda White Nile Natural Organic

      The White Nile Organic Coffee Project was established by Kawacom in 1998 to promote the cultivation and sale of certified Arabica coffees in Uganda. The program supports approximately 8,000 smallholders in the region through agricultural training, social and environmental programs, cash management, and market access. Kawacom is an exporter in Uganda who started the Sipi Falls washing station on Mt Elgon more than 20 years ago.  Prior to its existence small coffee farm holders traditional processed and dried coffee at home in humble quantities resulting in inconsistent quality and thus the income they derived was very low. Once the Sipi Falls project was running farmers sold their ripe coffee cherry to the washing station and quality rose sharply as did farmer income, a win all around. In 2015, Kawacom set up a separate wet mill in Okoro County in the highlands of Uganda's northwest area and along the White Nile near the border with the Congo.  The White Nile river, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, runs through this part of Uganda. This section is named the Victoria Nile, and flows to Lake Albert where it becomes the Albert Nile at the South Sudan border. The term "White Nile" is used because of the pale color the clay sediment turns the water.


      Drying tables spread out in the sun


      Hand sorting to remove imperfect cherry


      Drying tables in shade to extend drying time or provide protection from rain

      While the original Sipi Falls wet mill was predominantly for washed coffee, there was some experimentation with other processes like Natural and Honey.  But the White Nile wet mill incorporated Natural processing from the outset and they created a project that entailed acquiring the coffee from high grown producers who had demonstrated their ability to produce superior coffee. The mill than took that natural resource and enhanced it with the processing they had perfected. Ripe cherry is brought immediately to raised beds where it is laid out in single layers and further sorted for ripeness. The coffee is constantly turned throughout the day to ensure even drying, and drying will take approximately 3 weeks depending on the weather. The cherry is dried down to approximately 10.5% moisture content and then stored in grainpro to protect it. From this point the coffee is milled and prepared for export.

      • Producer Organization: Smallholders participating in Kawacom's White Nile Organic Coffee project
      • Country: Uganda
      • Region: Northern Region - Okeyu, Paidha, Okoro County, Zombo district
      • Elevation: 1,450 - 1,800 meters above sea level
      • Varieties: SL-14, SL28, and Blue Mountain (Typica)
      • Process: Full natural and dried on raised beds
      • Exporter: Kawacom
      • Certifications: Organic

      Cup Characteristics: Subtle fruity aroma.  Very clean and smooth with modest fruit intensity. Well processed coffee. 

      Roasting Notes: Natural processed coffees tend to roast faster than their washed counterparts, and produce more chaff. Roast slowly to develop a fuller flavor profile, but pull before 2nd crack. On a Behmor P2 or P3 is a nice starting point.



      Uganda coffee facts:

      Population: 12 Million people
      Coffee Production: 3.5 Million Bags
      Domestic Consumption: 245,000 Bags of 60 Kg. (132 lb.)
      Cultivated Area: 1.1 Million Hectares (2.7 Million Acres)
      Harvest: Main Crop: In the west Sept to Nov; in the east Oct to Mar
      Fly Crop: In the west Mar to May; in the east Jun to Jul
      Farms: 500,000

      Specialty Coffees:
      Arabica: 25% of production
      Areas: Mount Elgon, West Nile and Rwenzori Mountains

      Botanical Varieties:
      Typica, some SL varieties, Kent


       


       

       

      Crop Comments

      Uganda, an original producer of Robusta coffee, has been increasing its production and quality of Arabica in recent years, now nearing 25% up from 5%. Mount Elgon straddles the Uganda and Kenya border. The Sipi Falls have smallholder farms between 1600 and 1900 meters, a natural site for high grown Arabicas.