Mount Elgon Coffee Area. The fertile slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda are one of the country’s most important Arabica coffee-producing regions. Introduced from Ethiopia, Arabica coffee has adapted well to this high-altitude, volcanic area, becoming a key crop for local communities.
Farmers in the Elgon region grow coffee on small mixed farms alongside food crops like beans, peanuts, and bananas. The coffee is typically cultivated under shade trees, whose fallen leaves act as natural fertilizer, supporting a sustainable farming system.
In districts like Mbale, planting takes place from March to April, with harvesting between August and November. Trees are pruned during the dry season, from December to February, and flowering also occurs in this period.
After harvest, the coffee cherries undergo wet processing: the pulp is removed, the mucilage washed off—often using traditional sisal baskets—and the beans are dried either in the sun or at processing centers. The final stages include hulling, sorting, roasting, grinding, and packaging.
