Uganda Vanilla Beans by UGP | africaug.com

The Evolution of the Uganda Vanilla Industry
Vanilla cultivation is highly labor-intensive and was introduced in Uganda during the colonial period by British farmers as far back as the 1940s. Pioneer Uganda Vanilla farmers were residents in Kooja parish, the present-day Mukono district.

The Uganda Vanilla industry grew slowly until about 2002, 2003 when vanilla farmers first experienced a boom with record-breaking high prices.
Today Uganda produces over 70 Metric Tons of Cured Vanilla Beans annually.

Uganda Vanilla Beans, just like Madagascar Vanilla Beans are signified by a very sweet, creamy character imparted by Vanillin. Vanillin is the most abundant flavour and aroma chemical present in cured vanilla beans.
In my opinion and many Vanilla distributors do agree with me; properly cured Uganda Vanilla Beans are simply the finest Gourmet beans you will find on the global market, surpassing even the best Madagascar Bourbon beans.

How UGP joined the Vanilla Business
Since 2012, when UGP Traders (U) Limited was incorporated , we have been in the Online Marketing Business for Ugandan Agricultural products, testing both local and international markets. We continue to sell out many of these homegrown products on our web portals: www.africa-uganda-business-travel-guide.com and www.africaug.com.

And that’s how we discovered Vanilla in 2016; the World’s most popular flavour and the most expensive spice after Saffron. We joined the industry when the Vanilla Beans prices were beginning to rise due to high demand from end users like Ice Cream Makers, Confectionaries and Perfumers. We’re continuously witnessing an ever-increasing demand for ALL-NATURAL flavouring as communities around the world strive to live healthier lifestyles.

However, the demand for Natural Vanilla flavouring at that time, was met with significant disruptions in the Vanilla supply chain from Madagascar. Madagascar commands nearly 80% of the global Vanilla Market Share, but during this period Madagascar Vanilla farmers suffered several assaults from natural disasters, the most notable one being Cyclone Enow that hit the Ocean Island in early 2017.

With the attractive Vanilla export prices at the time, as buyers sought alternatives to Madagascar Vanilla Beans, we found no better opportunity to become part of the solution to a global Vanilla crisis. We started our own Vanilla Plantation and also started curing and exporting Uganda Vanilla Beans.