Coffee pests, diseases invade Sebei, Tooro, Buganda, Bugisu

The government has confirmed three strange pests and diseases that affect coffee plants, leaves, and berries following reports from different farmers across the country.

Over the last few months, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has received reports from different farmer sources across the country complaining of strange pests and diseases affecting their coffee trees.

Farmers have reported that their coffee trees were drying up.

The initial reports were from the Tooro, Buganda (Mubende), Busoga, Bugisu and Sebei sub regions.

According to the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, they immediately constituted teams and tasked them to conduct an emergency assessment of the complaints and they returned from the field last week.

He said that the teams observed that there was high severity of coffee berry disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust (CLR) in Arabica coffee growing areas of Sebei district while the Black Coffee Twig Borer (BCTB) was the major pest in Robusta coffee in Iganga and Namutumba districts.

"If farmers do not manage the pests in line with the established guidelines, they can lose up to 50% of their crop yield. The first signs of infestation are yellowing of the leaves on the twigs. If the affected branch is inspected, tiny entrance holes created by the borer, usually located on the branch underside, are evident,”said Kyakulaga.

He said there are two primary methods of managing the disease which include; cultural or preventive measures and fungicide application commonly referred to as pesticides.