Ugandan Coffee Grading Decoded: Mapping Screen 18, 15, and FAQ/UG Standards to SCA Terms
By Sandra Nansbuga
Ugandan Coffee Grading Decoded: Mapping Screen 18, 15, and FAQ/UG Standards to SCA Terms
Uganda green coffee grading standards are built on physical measurement, sieve retention, weight-based defect tolerance, and moisture content, defined in Uganda Standard DUS 1957, while the international classification system most commonly used to describe "specialty grade" coffee is the legacy SCAA Green Coffee Classification, which scores defects per 300-gram sample and requires a cupping evaluation. The two systems are not built the same way, so a Ugandan grade name does not automatically translate into a specific SCA grade tier without checking both sets of numbers.
What Uganda's DUS 1957 standard specifies
Under Uganda Standard DUS 1957, notified to the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade Committee by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, dry-processed Robusta grades are defined by sieve retention, weight-based defect limits, and moisture caps. Screen 18 requires at least 90% retention on the Screen 18 sieve, a tolerance of up to 10% passing to Screen 17, and a moisture cap of 12.0%. Screen 15 requires at least 90% retention on the Screen 15 sieve, permits up to 12% defective beans by weight, allows up to 0.1% extraneous matter, and caps moisture at 12.5%. Broken Hand-Picked (BHP), a lower grade used in industrial and soluble manufacturing, requires only 85% retention on Screen 12 and permits up to 20% defective beans by weight.
FAQ, Fair Average Quality, functions differently from a screen grade. UCDA's own coffee processing documentation describes drying wet-processed parchment to a required moisture level of 12% before hulling, with the resulting hulled green coffee described as FAQ coffee, meaning FAQ represents a base-quality output at the processing stage rather than a size-sorted export screen grade in the same sense as Screen 18 or Screen 15.
What the SCA-associated classification system specifies
The classification system most widely referenced for "specialty grade" claims traces to the SCAA Green Coffee Classification, documented in an FAO reference annex on green coffee classification and grading. Under this system, a 300-gram sample is used: Specialty Grade allows no more than 5 full defects per 300 grams, no primary defects at all, a maximum 5% tolerance above or below the stated screen size, and moisture content between 9% and 13%. Premium Grade allows up to 8 full defects per 300 grams, permits primary defects, and applies the same screen tolerance and moisture range. Exchange Grade allows 9 to 23 full defects per 300 grams and requires at least 50% of the sample by weight above Screen 15, with no more than 5% below Screen 14.
Uganda-to-SCA comparison
| Attribute | Uganda (DUS 1957) | SCAA Classification (via FAO) |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of grading | Sieve retention % by weight, defect % by weight | Defect count per 300g sample, plus cupping |
| Top-tier defect limit | Screen 15: up to 12% defective by weight | Specialty: 0 primary, max 5 full defects/300g |
| Moisture range | Screen 18: max 12.0%; Screen 15: max 12.5% | 9-13% across all listed grades |
| Cupping requirement | Not part of the screen-grade specification | Required for Specialty and Premium grades |
What this means for buyers
A Ugandan screen grade is not a direct substitute for an SCA grade claim. Screen 18 or Screen 15 describes bean size and weight-based defect tolerance; it says nothing about defect count per 300 grams or cupping score. Buyers should request both sets of figures separately rather than assuming one implies the other.
FAQ is a processing-stage descriptor, not a size grade, and should be treated accordingly. Since FAQ describes hulled coffee at a base quality level rather than a specific screen size, buyers should confirm whether an offer labeled FAQ has also been screen-graded before assuming it matches a specific size specification.
FAQ
What is the maximum moisture content for Uganda Screen 18 Robusta?
Uganda Standard DUS 1957 sets a maximum moisture content of 12.0% for Screen 18 dry-processed Robusta.
What defect count qualifies as SCAA Specialty Grade?
Per the SCAA classification system referenced by FAO, Specialty Grade allows no more than 5 full defects per 300 grams, with no primary defects permitted.
Is FAQ the same as a specific Ugandan screen size grade?
No. UCDA's own processing documentation describes FAQ as the hulled green coffee output after drying to 12% moisture, a base processing-stage quality descriptor rather than a size-sorted screen grade like Screen 18 or Screen 15.