By Prossy Nandudu
Edward Lutakome from Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) says farmers have to know the different standards that can facilitate their coffee trade.
In the case of Uganda, specific standards have already been set by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) under the trade ministry.
Since UNBS is a member of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), some of the standards have been developed in line with those set by ISO.
Lutakome who conducted a coffee training at the 2024 Harvest Money expo took farmers through some areas of focus and these include the following;
Standards to be mindful of on the farm
When harvesting, Lutakome says farmers should look out for ripe cherries, which should be hand-picked and dried immediately after harvesting on clean mats, tarpaulins, wire mesh, cemented floor or brick portions. The result is Kiboko coffee.
Primary processing
When one chooses to carry out primary processing, Lutakome says they should look out for hullers that in the process of hulling, should be placed on a clean surface, which can either be cemented floor or on a tarpaulin. And the process is carried out in an enclosure, it should have cemented floor and plastered walls which are leak proof.
The room shouldn’t have any traces of insects, pests, like rodents and should have a husk or dust collection chamber.
Above all, the facility should have a valid registration certificate as per the National Coffee Act No 17 of 2021 for hulling to take place. The result of this process will be the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) Coffee or kase, Lutakome added.
When it comes to moisture content, the recommended moisture content for dried coffee is 13.5%, but for farmers to achieve this target, they should not dry coffee in any place that creates room for contamination or build-up of moulds.
Secondary processing
For secondary processing, only dried FAQ coffee should be processed. And the processing should be carried nearer to a coffee analysing and testing laboratory that can test the moisture content, measure screen size and cup taste, among others.
“Once you miss this stage, which is compulsory, then you will miss out on recommended grades for export,” Lutakome adds.
Other standards to consider in order to get quality coffee for trade include drying, where coffee should be dried on the cemented floor, drying bed, tarpaulin or mats or on a raised floor.
Also, ensure that the moisture content doesn’t go beyond 10.5%-13.5% for Kiboko and parchment. For storage, pallets on cemented floors are recommended.
The floor should be free from dust and contamination. After processing, the coffee shouldn’t be stored in the same place as the FAQ. Besides the storage space should be well ventilated, leak proof and vermin free.
While the coffee is in store, temperatures should be maintained at below 300 C and humidity should be at 75%.
Packaging
For packaging, jute or sisal storage bags are recommended, with the use of a calibrated weighing scale. The bags should have labels, batch numbers and also lot numbers.
While packaging, there is a need to wear appropriate protective gear. The packaged coffee shouldn’t exceed 60kg net per bag and the lot should be limited to a maximum of 720 bags, enough for a 20ft container.
All these steps should be carried out under the supervision of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and an official from UCDA.
