Uganda

Uganda plans to stop the devastating effects of wilt disease, Café Africa Uganda (CAU) says, by distributing strains of coffee plants resistant to the disease, a fungus that has ravaged the country’s robusta trees the last two decades. Uganda is Africa’s second-largest exporter of coffee and number one in the robusta variety.

The Uganda Coffee Research institute has developed plants immune to the disease and CAU plans to begin growing a supply soon.

"We are focusing on setting up mother gardens this year," said Emma Joynson-Hicks, c.e.o. of CAU. The intention is to develop a supply that can be distributed to farmers, though no specific timeline has been given.

The disease mostly affects robusta trees, Uganda’s primary coffee variety accounting for 85% of the country’s coffee exports. According to the Uganda Coffee Development authority, the disease was first detected in 1993 and has since claimed approximately 150 million trees.

CABI International, a non-governmental organization, states on their website that the country has lost US$500 million in sales over the last decade due to the disease. The effects have weighed most heavily on small holders, whose output has been halved, CABI says.

Last year, wilt disease was partially credited with the meager annual output of only 3.3 million 60kg bags says the Ugandan Coffee Authority. That compares to over 4 million in 1996-97.