Available
Uganda · Masaka & Greater Lake Victoria
- Species
- Robusta
- Process
- Natural
- Grade
- Screen 15
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- Multi-container programme
Uganda · Species
Uganda Robusta
Robusta is indigenous to this basin. Uganda did not adopt it as an Arabica substitute — it sits inside the species’ natural range, and the sector is built around that.
- Species
- Robusta
- Preparation
- Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR)
- Harvest
- Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February
Quick answer
Ugandan Robusta is dry-processed coffee from the Lake Victoria basin, graded purely by screen — 18, 17, 15, 14 and 12 — plus unsized FAQ parcels. Two harvest cycles keep it available for most of the year, which is why it anchors so many commercial blends and soluble programmes.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current uganda robustaThe growing areas
- Masaka and the greater lake shore — the core belt, 1,100–1,400 m, supplying most screen-graded export volume.
- Central Uganda and Luwero — significant production feeding the same channels.
- Western lakeshore areas — where the fly crop is most pronounced.
- Remnant forest populations — wild and semi-wild *Coffea canephora* persists in the region, a reminder of where the species comes from.
Two cycles
| Cycle | Flowering | Harvest | Export window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main crop | February–April | November–February | December–June |
| Fly crop | August–October | April–July | May–October |
The practical consequence is continuity of supply. A commercial blend that depends on Ugandan Robusta is rarely forced to bridge a gap, which is worth a good deal in a programme.
Screen grades
| Grade | Screen | mm | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen 18 | 18/64" | 7.14 | Premium size class; bean uniformity for the roast or a visual match |
| Screen 17 | 17/64" | 6.75 | Intermediate; useful when 18 is scarce |
| Screen 15 | 15/64" | 5.95 | The volume workhorse |
| Screen 14 | 14/64" | 5.56 | Price-led blending and extraction |
| Screen 12 | 12/64" | 4.76 | Smallest commercial size; mostly soluble |
| FAQ | Unsized | — | Sold on defect and moisture terms; specify everything explicitly |
Contracting
The screen constrains size and nothing else
A screen specification says nothing about defects, moisture or foreign matter. Ugandan Robusta contracts live or die on those three clauses, and FAQ parcels need them most of all because there is no screen at work either.
- Screen
- Retention screen plus permitted percentage passing
- Defects
- Maximum total, with black and broken capped separately
- Moisture
- Ceiling plus method — commonly around 12–13%
- Foreign matter
- Maximum, stones counted separately
- Crop year and cycle
- Explicit — main crop or fly crop
- Packaging
- 60 kg jute, or bulk liner for volume
- Certification
- 4C is common on commercial Robusta
- Routing
- Mombasa or Dar es Salaam — affects transit and documentation
What good Robusta tastes like
Robusta’s reputation is largely a processing artefact. The species carries more chlorogenic acid and caffeine than Arabica, which contributes bitterness and body — but a carefully picked, properly dried, well-sorted Robusta is clean, sweet and heavy-bodied, without the rubber and burnt character associated with careless preparation.
The buying implication: Robusta rewards supplier selection and specification discipline more than most Arabica, because the range between careless and careful is so wide.
Robusta programme enquiries
Tell us the annual volume, screen and shipment pattern. Robusta is normally contracted as a programme.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
Growing regions
Uganda growing regions
Altitude and harvest timing are the two variables a sourcing decision turns on. Where two regions overlap they compete for the same milling and shipping slot; where they do not, a programme can be scheduled across them.
Region · altitude
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
- Masaka & Greater Lake Victoria1,100–1,400 m
- Masaka & Greater Lake Victoria
- Altitude
- 1,100–1,400 m
- Harvest
- November–February with a fly crop April–July
- Processing
- Natural
- Species
- Robusta
Availability
Current Uganda Robusta
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
Available
Uganda · Masaka & Greater Lake Victoria
- Species
- Robusta
- Process
- Natural
- Grade
- Screen 18
- Screen
- 18+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 3 × 20ft
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Crop
Uganda crop calendar
Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.
Robusta — central, south and Masaka (main crop)
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Feb–Apr
- Cherry development: Apr–Oct
- Harvest: Nov–Feb
- Processing & drying: Nov–Mar
- Dry milling & grading: Dec–Apr
- Main export window: Dec–Jun
The main Robusta crop supplies the bulk of Ugandan export volume.
Robusta — fly crop (western and lakeshore)
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Aug–Oct
- Cherry development: Oct–Mar
- Harvest: Apr–Jul
- Processing & drying: Apr–Aug
- Dry milling & grading: May–Sep
- Main export window: May–Oct
The second, smaller cycle keeps Ugandan Robusta available for most of the year.
Arabica — Mount Elgon (Bugisu)
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Feb–Apr
- Cherry development: Apr–Sep
- Harvest: Oct–Feb
- Processing & drying: Oct–Mar
- Dry milling & grading: Nov–Apr
- Main export window: Dec–Jul
Arabica — West Nile (Okoro) and Kigezi
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Jan–Mar
- Cherry development: Mar–Jul
- Harvest: Aug–Nov
- Processing & drying: Aug–Dec
- Dry milling & grading: Oct–Feb
- Main export window: Oct–Apr
West Nile picks earlier than Elgon, which is what makes DRUGAR available ahead of the washed Elgon crop.
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Mombasa (Northern Corridor), Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor)
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; Robusta also moves in bulk-lined containers
- Export window
- Year-round, with the heaviest Robusta shipments December–April
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Arabica · Robusta | Fully washed · Natural | AA · A · AB · B | June–October in the south; July–December in the north | Dar es Salaam · Tanga |
| Kenya | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural) | E · AA · AB · PB | Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July | Mombasa |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is Uganda a major Robusta origin?
Because *Coffea canephora* is indigenous to the Lake Victoria basin. Uganda sits inside the species’ natural range, and the sector developed around that rather than around a substitution for Arabica.
What screen should I buy for a commercial blend?
Screen 15 for volume and value; screen 18 where bean uniformity matters to the roast or where the component must visually match the Arabica alongside it.
Is Ugandan Robusta available all year?
Effectively yes. The main crop runs roughly November to February and the fly crop April to July, which together keep supply available for most of the year.
What moisture should Ugandan Robusta be contracted at?
Commonly around 12–13%, with the ceiling and the measurement method both stated. The method matters as much as the number.
Request an offer
Tell us the Uganda coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Uganda realistically supports for the current crop.