Hundreds of farmers affected by this devastating disease.
Following the outbreak of coffee wilt disease in Bukomansimbi District and in neighboring districts, coffee farmers have greatly suffered losses in their coffee farming business. Five years back this disease was seen in Bukomansimbi District but the rate at which it was spreading was less. Farmers managed to live with it, although it had reduced the total coffee output expected per harvest over a given land coverage by 20%.
Now the disease has gained strength and momentum and is even affecting young coffee trees. Kibinge sub-county is severely affected, with over 400 farmers losing trees to coffee wilt disease. Since December 2020 to date, 80,000 coffee trees have been lost in the area and the disease is spreading rapidly.
Stephen Kamya (BOTFA Manager and Treasurer) has himself lost over 500 coffee trees to the disease since December, and is working hard to sensitise the local community to coffee wilt and share advice that may help to reduce its impact, such as uprooting and burning infected trees. The worst affected local farmer has lost 650 coffee trees from December to date.
Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association, in partnership with Kinderen Van Uganda, has for over twelve years been mobilizing its community to plant specific indigenous tree species such as ficus natalensis {mutuba trees} in agro-forestry. Key to this was the inclusion of coffee trees, which is motivating us to intervene in seeking for remedies.
For that reason we want to cooperate with local government, coffee farmers associations, coffee buyers and the Buganda Government to fully sensitise farmers on alternative preventive measures that must be adopted by all farmers in the affected areas to reduce the rate at which new coffee trees are becoming infected.
We want to sensitise and train coffee nursery operators in the all districts on alternative coffee species that are resistant to coffee wilt. We also want to give out these resistant coffee species to be planted in their respective mother gardens. We aim to advise on proper planting and care for the gardens by platform members. We want to support local platform members from Kinderen Van Uganda to undertake research to find permanent remedies using organic means.
Goals:
To conduct research to end coffee wilt disease affecting coffee farmers in Bukomansimbi district:
Objectives:
· To reduce the rate at which new coffee trees is getting affected by coffee wilt disease through conducting several workshops on possible preventive measures.
· To expose farmers to new resistant to coffee wilt disease species of coffee through training coffee nursery operators to embark on such species.
· To document research on new coffee wilts disease and disseminate it to farmers in the all region as reference.
· To sensitize general community on precautions to prevent the disease in Bukomansimbi district and beyond.