16
13/14
I
wish to congratulate the Coffee Fraternity upon completion
of the coffee year 2013/2014, which made considerable
achievements in spite of a 2.8% decline in coffee export
volumes, we registered a 9% increment in value.
One major achievement was the resolve for the industry to
come together and develop a national coffee strategic plan
that would address all the challenges and risks that coffee
industry is facing.
Several factors have attributed to the decline were erratic
weather patterns, coffee disease outbreaks like coffee leaf
rust and coffee berry disease in Arabica areas, and coffee
pests likeblackcoffee twigborer,whichaffectedcoffee yields.
This is awake up call to remind us that there aremany other
exogenous factors that pausepotential risks tocoffeegrowing
that need to be addressed. It ismy hope and prayer that the
implementationof thestrategicplanwill indeedhelp tomitigate
against these risks.
Inaddition to thedrive toboostcoffeeproductionbydistributing
100millioncoffeeseedlingsper year for aperiodof 3years,we
shall focus our resources to further research in high yielding,
disease resistantanddrought tolerant varieties;partneringwith
private sector to ensure quick multiplication and distribution
of these materials. Some of these efforts have been made
possible through the support of development partners likeaBi
Trust andUSAID’s Feed the FutureProgrammes.
HenryNgabirano
UCDAMD
Good flowering under the favourable climatic change
can lead tobest yields
Onemajor achievementwas the resolve for the
industry to come together anddevelopanational
coffee strategicplan thatwouldaddress all the
challenges and risks that coffee industry is facing.
