Kampala — World class coffee experts are undertaking a project aimed at developing common standards for robusta coffee to help farmers in Africa earn more revenue from it.

Experts from Mexico and the California-based Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) visited Uganda recently and met with local robusta coffee dealers in a one-week workshop at Serena Hotel. The workshop discussed the elements to be included in the standardisation process.

"Farmers in Uganda, together with others from African countries are set to earn big from robusta coffee production should we succeed in developing common standards that should be adhered to at all levels of the production chain," said Ted Lingle, the executive director of CQI.

Lingle said CQI is trying to develop a common standard of ten attributes similar to arabica coffee. So far, two traits unique to robusta coffee are known these are the bittersweet aspect ratio and the softness of its beans. Unlike arabica, robusta beans have no standards and have seen their value drop over the years.

The robusta coffee standards project is supported by the Livelihood Enterprises for Agriculture Development under the US agency for International Development and Uganda Coffee Development Authority. Lingle said it was a duty of every coffee stakeholder including the Government to ensure quality handling from the farm to the cup.

The expert was concerned that the absence of standards had rendered robusta coffee less competitive at the world market in terms of prices.

He said arabica beans delivered for sale at the New York Exchange are allowed up to 15 defects in every 350 grams. On the other hand, robustas tendered at London's Liffe market can have as many as 350 defects in 500 grams.

"This is an enormous difference," Lingle argued, adding that the defects have a definite effect on taste and price.

This, therefore, makes it difficult to find robusta coffee that tastes good because of the defects. This tradition of low quality puts a heavy burden on the producer because they get paid low, Lingle said.

Lingle told Reuters recently that Robusta coffee sold at an average $1.15 per pound over 1980-1989. This had dropped to an average of $0.55 between 2000 and 2009 for the 40 million 60-kg bags of robusta produced annually around the globe.

"In essence, the producers have lost $0.50 per pound because of an absence of standards. How do you reverse this? By developing standards," Lingle said.

"There is a tremendous opportunity for Africa's Robusta growers to develop a standard, and CQI will always be there to help achieve this target," he added.

CQI is a non-profit organisation working to improve the quality of coffee globally and developed the Q system, an international system for grading quality coffee. The organisation is also charged with the certification responsibility.

David Barry, an executive member of Uganda Coffee Trade Federation and the managing director of Kyagalanyi Coffee said the standards initiative was timely as it seeks to increase confidence in the continent's robusta coffee.

"By emphasising quality, we hope to raise the value. If farmers realise that by adopting better pre- and post harvest techniques, they will benefit. Improved yields will earn farmers more cash," he said in a separate interview.

In the coffee financial year 2008/2009 (from August 2008 to September 2009), Uganda exported 2.4 million bags or 144,600 metric tonnes of robusta coffee worth $245m while Arabica coffee constituted 0.645 million bags or 38,700 metric tonnes worth $80.86m.

It was up from the 2.8 million bags annual average for export volumes that had persisted for the last 40 years. This year's forecast stands at 3 million bags.

Uganda is Africa's biggest producer of robusta coffee.

and Agencies