PART 11.
Robusta coffee was discovered in the Belgium Congo, and
seeds were sent to Brussels, Belgium, and propagated where
plants were first offered for sale in 1911. Some of these plants
found their way to Java. Like most new introductions the
robusta coffee was at first looked upon rather askance, but as its
greater climatological range as compared with that of Arabian
coffee, and its productivity, precocity, and resistance to the coffee
blight (Hemileia vastatriz) became apparent, it rapidly gained
popularity, so rapidly in fact that the Javanese coffee plantations
to-day consist almost entirely of robusta coffee. 298,774 acres or
83% of acreage under Coffee (1919).
These are significant facts and appeal very strongly to us. They
are an indication of the trend events should take regarding coffee in
Uganda for we have had an almost parallel experience with arabica.
We might now consider the comparative exports of Robusta Coffee
from Java, where the rise has been phenomenal, and from Bukoba
(Tanganyika) and Uganda where Robusta is known to have existed for
many many years.
In 1900 the export of arabica coffee from Java was 37,000 tons;
by 1925 the export of this coffee had dropped to 7,800 tons; meantime
(1919) Robusta exports were 218 tons, and by 1925 61.000 tons. having
almost swamped arabica.
In view of these facts we might well ask why since we (Uganda)
claim to be a coffee producing country our exports of that commodity
are so meagre. The answer is easy, we have until recently neglected
Robusta Coffee.
These export figures now lead us on to a consideration of market
prospects of robusta. 61,000 tons, the export from Java and neighbouring
 islands, is a very considerable quantity, and there must be
somewhere a good market for this commodity. Apart, however, from
that view of the matter I should like to emphasise the fact that on
the markets Robusta Coffee can stand on its own merits. I refer of
course to Robusta of a high standard. That would have been a very
bold statement to have made say 10 years ago; but the temper of the
market has changed. In connection with this point I shall quote an
authority on the matter. In ‘‘ All about Coffee.”’ page 145. we read :
Viehoever and Lepper carried on (1921) a series of cup tests
of robusta, the results as to taste and flavour being distinctly
favourable. They summarised their studies and tests as follows
“The time when coffee could be limited to beans obtained from
plants of Coffea arabica and C. liberica has passed. Other species,
with qualities which make them desirable, even in preference to
the well reputed named ones, have been discovered and cultivated.
Among them, the species or group of Coffee robusta has attained
a great economic significance, and is grown in increasing amounts.
While it has, as reports seem to indicate, not as yet been possible
to obtain a strain that would be as desirable in flavour as the old
‘ standard ° Coffee arabica, well known as Java or ‘ Fancy
Java ’ coffee, its merits have been established.’’
The Botanical origin is not quite cleared up, and the classification
 of the varieties belonging to the robusta group deserves
further study.

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