Uganda White Nile Natural Organic

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