Drought-resistant wild Robsta has been found in Uganda, which is of great help to the cultivation of drought-tolerant coffee varieties.

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Recently, coffee variety researchers in Uganda, the Netherlands and France have discovered a previously unknown wild robusta coffee population with potential drought resistance in Uganda's endangered forests. This discovery will contribute to the cultivation of drought-resistant coffee varieties and the development of coffee industry in the future. Since coffee is an equally important export for Uganda, the discovery also highlights the need for tropical rainforests to further deter illegal deforestation and encourage the government to protect them.

The study lasted five years from 2014 to 2019. The drought tolerance of wild Robusta samples collected by scholar Catherine Kiouka (Catherine Kiwuka) while studying for her doctorate at Wageningen University was compared with that of coffee varieties of previously unknown genotypes, which revealed the drought resistance of some coffee populations.

"[drought-resistant varieties] can be used in breeding programs to cross with existing varieties," said Niels Anten, a professor of crop and weed ecology at Wageningen University. At present, many varieties of coffee are bred for disease resistance. Therefore, as long as the new wild Robusta discovered by Catherine is crossed with the existing coffee varieties, it is possible to develop a coffee variety with disease resistance and drought tolerance at the same time.

The wild Robusta was found in the heavily deforested Zoka forest in northern Uganda. Due to excessive deforestation, the Zoka forest is now only about 10 square kilometers. Professor Niels Anten said: "Agricultural land is constantly threatening the existence of forests."

Among Catherine Kiouka's varieties, other samples from the south are in danger of disappearing because they are increasingly genetically mixed with co-cultivated varieties. this requires a large area of forest to better protect key genetic information in wild coffee populations.

Increasing the drought resistance of existing coffee varieties will benefit millions of Ugandan coffee growers who lack the funds to install irrigation systems to cope with dry conditions in Uganda. Professor Niels Anten added that while drought-resistant crops may help improve the quality of life of Ugandan farmers, this is only part of the improvement. In addition to improving the drought resistance of coffee, growers also need to receive more education about planting techniques, agroforestry techniques, etc., as well as provide more opportunities to bring coffee directly to the market and reduce the price difference earned by middlemen, thereby increasing the income of all growers.

Although it is generally believed in the international market that the quality of robusta coffee is lower than Arabica coffee, Ugandan robusta coffee is considered to be an exception. Robusta coffee beans are the main source of income for Uganda's agriculture. According to a report published by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) in December 2020, Uganda's Robusta coffee exports accounted for more than 70% of Uganda's total coffee exports in 2020. The Ugandan government has previously announced that Uganda's coffee exports will increase by at least 20 million bags (60 kg each) in the next 10 years.

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