Robusta2ver

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

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UGANDA: THE BIRTH PLACE OF ROBUSTA &

PIONEER OF SPECIALTY ROBUSTA

HENRY NGABIRANO

BRAZIL ROBUSTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE12TH JUNE 2012, VITORIA, ESPIRITO SANTO

DISCUSSION TO INCLUDE

• UGANDA vs BRAZIL• UGANDA’S HERITAGE AS THE BIRTH PLACE

OF ROBUSTA• COFFEE RESEARCH• ROBUSTA IN THE SPECIALTY MOVEMENT

&Where you must be come 14th Feb 2013

UGANDA GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

UGANDA GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

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WE WERE ONCE ONE

AFRICA IS HUGE

IT CAN SWALLOW (oh no is bigger than) CHINA, USA, INDIA, EUROPE, ARGENTINA & NEW ZEALAND combined

And

would still have space to fit South Korea

vs

It is a David and Goliath situation

Let’s look @AREA, POPULATION, GDPpp,

GDPpc, COFFEE PRODUCTION, and FARMERS

PARAMETER FACTOR

AREA (sq km) 0.241million 8,514 million 35 SmallerPOPULATION 35.8 million 205.7 million 6 SmallerGDPpp US$ $45.9 billion $2.282 trillion 50 SmallerGDPpc $1,300 $11,600 9 Smaller

Source: Personal research & CIA World factbook

IT WOULD BE ABOUT THE SIZE OF SAO PAULO(247K sq km)

Rio de Janeiro + Minas Gerais States combined

WHAT IF UGANDA WAS IN BRAZIL

GOIAS STATEGDPPOPULATION

Source: Personal research & CIA World factbook

PARAMETER FACTOR

PRODUCTION/YEAR 3-3.5m bags 50-55m bags 17 Smaller

FARMERS 1.3m 0.35m 4 BIGGER

BAGS/FARMER 2.5 bags 183 bags 73 (IN EFFICIENT USE OF LABOUR)

MAJOR REGIONS Western, Central, Eastern and North West

Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Sao Paulo & Bahia

4 X 4

ALTITUDE masl Robusta (1100-1600)Arabica (1300-2300)

Both A+R (700-1250) 2 HIGHER

PROCESSING METHODS DRY, SEMI AND FULLY WASHED

NATURAL, SEMI AND FULLY WASHED

3 X 3

GRADING SYSYEM SIZE, DEFECT COUNT & CUP

SIZE, DEFECT COUNT & CUP

SAME

Robusta coffee is indigenous to Uganda

• Robusta coffee is indigenous: It was found naturally occurring in the tropical forests near Lake Victoria crescent

• Before 1890 a few trees would be gathered near homestead for cultural use

• Cultivation on commercial basis literally started early 1900’s

• This was later confirmed by Maitland, 1926; Thomas, 1940 that same trees existed in: • Kibale, Itwara, Bwamba, Budongo in western Uganda; • Zoka in the northern Uganda • Kasai (defunct) in Central Uganda- near Lake Victoria.

“A COUNTRY WEAVED WITH COFFEE & CULTURE”

• Coffee is interwoven in the cultures of most tribes in Uganda

• It plays traditional roles socially, culturally and economically

• Many traditions have used Coffee as a uniting factor, for friendship, fire, love and medicine.

• When two families without biological relationships wanted to seal a friendship, they would use coffee beans

• The major Kingdoms used in coffee in royal and marriage ceremonies where Coffee beans would be used as a symbol of acceptance of the groom by the bride

Coffee was considered a special wind trapper for winds believed to be carrying spirits and gods.

It is generally held that lightening cannot strike a coffee tree.

This culture is gradually being phased out at the expense of modernization.

The only strong culture is coffee chewing.

Coffee is truly African

Source: Modified Manuel Diaz Report

Traced to other areas

Source: Modified Manuel Diaz Report

And later to the rest of tropical world

1950s: 5 policlons (Romex)

Ivory Coast main selection site from 1960

Uganda and DR Congo primary selection center between 1930 and 1960

Java (Indonesia) primary selection center between 1900-30

Secondary R&D centers: CAR, India, Madagascar and Mexico

Major Policy Changes Over Time

SINCE 1990’sPeriod of Liberalization

* Cooperatives * Private Sector

1960’sPeriod of Gov’t control * Coffee Marketing Board

1950’sPeriod of Private operations * Cooperatives * Private Traders

Coffee Value Chain Players

Importers (Consuming Countries) – Several (80% Europe)

Exporters - 42

Millers - 340

Middlemen - Many

Farmers – 1.3m HH

Coffee Federation

Farmer Asscns

Coffee Season in Uganda

Months

Regions Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Central Main Crop Fly Crop

Eastern Main Crop Fly Crop

S.Western Fly Crop Main Crop

N.Western Main Crop Fly Crop

COFFEE TYPES AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT

• Natural Robusta• Washed Robusta• Washed Arabica• Natural Arabica• Natural Organic Robusta• Washed Organic Arabica• Other certified coffees (Fair trade, Utz,

Rainforest Alliance) and 4C

Evolution of Robusta coffee research in Uganda

• Robusta coffee is indigenous to Uganda, where it is endemic to indigenous tropical forests (Maitland, 1926; Thomas, 1940)• Kibale, Itwara, Bwamba, Budongo in western Uganda; • Zoka in the northern Uganda • Kasai (defunct) in Central Uganda- near Lake Victoria.

• Pre- 1890:• No research• Few trees cultivated near homestead for cultural use• Propagated as open pollinated seedlings and mature stem cuttings of

any genotype• 1890-1910

• Germplasm collection• Emphasis on Arabica (considered high quality)• Importing and distribution of Arabica germplasm for cultivation

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Guinean

Congolese

Uganda-wildKibale

Uganda-wild Itwara

Uganda-cultivated • Nganda• Erecta

Genetic diversity of Ugandan C. canephora and other diversity groups

Uganda-feralKalangala

Musoli et al, 2007

• 1910-1916– Mainly Germplasm Collection– Emphasis changed to Robusta due to leaf rust on Arabica– Massive distribution of open pollinated seeds of nganda

phenotypes (due to vigour) to farmers• 1916-36

– Research was initiated (Mostly applied)– Germplasm collection– Evaluation and selection of natural genotypes for

• Bean size• Cup quality• Yield

– Emphasis on erecta phenotypes (large been size and high yielding)

– Massive distribution of open pollinated seeds of one tree selection and its descendants to farmers

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Erecta tree

Nganda tree

C. canephora phenotypes cultivated in Uganda

• 1936-56– Selections emphasizing natural nganda populations– Massive distribution of open pollinated seed of nganda

genotypes to farmers

• 1952-1970– Individual/clone selections emphasizing yield, quality,

resistance to leaf rust (8 elite clones – 3tn/ha)

• 1952-1970– Initiated conventional hybridization– Other research:

• soil fertility management (inorganic fertilizer application rates)

• tree population densities (spacing)• canopy management (pruning, stool stems)• insect pest management (cultural -berry borer)

• 1970-1990– Dark research period– Set up mother gardens for vegetative propagation

of 8 elite clones

• 1990-96– Revitalization of coffee research– Massive multiplication and distribution of 6 elite

clones – Selection of artificial hybrid clones (16 clones selected)– Research on

• Mulching + pest interactions (Mulch appropriateness) • Coffee + banana intercropping (4:1 coffee to banana;

profitability, food security))• Coffee + legume intercrops (profitability)• Inorganic vs. organic soil fertility management• Natural enemies of berry borer (Ugandan)

• Out break of coffee wilt disease

SEEDLINGS MULTIPLICATION & FARMING SYSTEMS

Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD) has been the major constraints of Robusta coffee production since 1993

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•CWD infection is through wounds on stems and roots but direct penetration without wounds is possible through roots

•CWD is a vascular disease, whose symptoms progress from leaf curling to fatal wilting of infected trees (Fraselle, 1950; Saccas, 1951)

C. canephora tree which has wilted to death due to CWDHealthy C. canephora tree

Primary branches of C. canephora tree with curling leaves caused by CWD

CWD symptom on C. canephora trees in the field

• 1997-2012 emphasis– Development of CWD resistant varieties

• Screening populations for resistance to CWD

Leaf rust

Red blister

Evaluating CWD resistant genotypes for other traits (yield, quality, resistance to other diseases (leaf rust, red blister)

CWD resistant variety

Emerging issues

– Emergency and management of Black coffee Twig Borer• Epidemiology• Diversity• Cultural, Chemical and Biological control

– Climate change (especially unpredictable and prolonged drought periods)

– Molecular marker assisted breeding for • Drought tolerance• CWD resistance• BCTB resistance

Key points on research• Evolved from collection of local natural populations to

basic applied research• Driven by the needs of the industry

– Productivity– Quality

• Served the basic needs of the industry– High yielding, disease resistant and good quality varieties

and their propagation methods (seed, tissue culture, cuttings)

– Generic soil fertility management practices– Generic crop canopy management practices– Diagnostic and pest (weeds, insects +disease) management

services• Limited in Academia• Still have many un studied diverse populations

Areas of collaboration

• Need to leap to upstream science such as marker assisted selection for better varieties– Quality– Drought tolerance– Disease resistance– Adaptation marginal soil conditions (ph)– Pest and disease diagnosis

• Building capacity for the upstream science– Human– Infrastructure

Robusta’s space in specialty movement is empty

Arabica

Specialty(10%)

Conventional(90%)

Why 0% Specialty Robusta

Equated to poor quality

Limited effort from origins to differentiate robusta

Attitude change

R-GradingInitial effort + price discovery system

Perception

10th African Fine Coffee Conference + Exhibition Kampala Uganda 14-16th Feb 2013 will change attitude

Hard facts

• Robusta is a big contributor to global production/consumption (40%)

• Now makes zero contribution to the specialty movement

• Robusta also has outstanding quality characteristics• Differentiation in robusta like any product adds great

value• Robusta consumption is largely in low/medium

income economies they are also entitled to differentiation

• Is an important source of livelihood for millions of households

ROBUSTA’S SPACE IN DIFFERENTIATED MARKET

In the past two years we have held 9 international robusta workshops and outstanding robustas were found:– Western and Central Africa:

• Ivory Coast, Togo, Gabon• Cameroun, Angola

– East Africa: • Uganda, RD Congo and Tanzania • Madagascar

– South and South-East of Asia: • India and Indonesia (Java, Flores)

– Latin America• Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador • Brazil (Conilon)

The 10th African Fine Coffee Conference + Exhibition Kampala Uganda 14-16th Feb 2013

• Washed robustas: mild, olives, cinnamon, milk chocolate• Robusta Naturals: fruty, dark chocolate, molases, cinnamon• Wild Naturals Robustas: blueberry, honey, spicy, cocoa and nutmeg

aromas and flavors

Fragrance / Aroma

Flavor

Aftertaste

Salt / Acid Balance

Bitter / Sweet Balance

Mouthfeel

7

7.25

7.5

7.75

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UGANDA Robustas Flavor Profile

Bushenyi

Pearl

Kasambya N1

Kawacom W

ROBUSTA HAS SPACE IN DIFFERENTIATED MARKET

Therefore we need to commit to:• Quality improvement and development of

protocols• Country identification of locations and varieties

with intrinsic potential• Research and develop processing methods and

conditions important for robusta differentiation• Encourage and excite everyone about outstanding

robustas• Look into price discovery for specialty robusta

Intensive training for protocols development

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Refine and expedite protocols development• Validate and internationalise the protocols• Recast the way robusta is traded • De-commoditize robusta (specialty robusta

exchange in Brazil?????????)

WHEN THE BIRTH PLACE OF ROBUSTA

MEETS

THE BIGGEST CONSUMER OF

ROBUSTA

SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL MUST

HAPPEN

TOGETHER: LET’S WORK ON SPECIALTY ROBUSTA and stick till delivered like a postage stamp

Keeping together Is progress

Coming together is a beginning

WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS

Henry Ford 1863-1947

COME TO UGANDA THEBIRTH PLACE OF ROBUSTA COFFEE

and also for THE 10TH AFRICA FINE COFFEE CONFERENCE

& EXHIBITION

14-16TH FEBRARY 2013

GREAT ROBUSTAS WILL BE UNVEILED

THANK YOU

“For magnificence, for variety, of form and color, for profusion of brilliant life – plant, bird, insect, reptile beast – for vast scale….Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa.” Winston Churchill