Uganda Coffee Federation Members “Walking the Talk” in CWD-Resistant Materials Multiplication

Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa  | CEO, Africa Coffee Academy and Vice President, Uganda Coffee Federation

Uganda’s coffee sector has set itself the goal of producing and exporting 4.5 million bags of Robusta coffee by 2015. With the growing worldwide demand for coffee and high prices, meeting this goal will significantly

increase foreign exchange earnings in the country and benefit millions of coffee farmers. One of the key strategies to increase production is a massive replanting campaign with varieties that are resistant to Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD). In Uganda, CWD was first observed in Robusta coffee areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1993. By 2002 it had spread to many parts of the country, where it destroyed 44.5% of the crop. This reduced Uganda’s coffee exports by nearly 50% and led to economic losses of 80-270 million US dollars annually between 1996 and 2007.

The search for Robusta CWD resistant varieties started in 1997 at the Coffee Research Centre (COREC).  Some 22 Robusta clones with high farming potential were initially selected out of the 167 CWD resistant clones. These together with the four clones identified from field responses were planted in field trials in 2007-8 and the first generation of seven CWD resistant Robusta lines are now ready for multiplication and planting. In order for Uganda’s Robusta farmers, and the coffee sector as a whole, to benefit from these varieties, a large replanting campaign needs to be put together that covers all Robusta areas.

Uganda Coffee Federation (UCF) is registered as a non-profit company, limited by guarantee. Its membership includes coffee exporters, coffee processors, farmers, companies that supply equipment and supplies to coffee exporters and processors, clearing and forwarding companies, insurance companies, banks and international coffee trading houses in Europe. UCF's vision is to have sustainable coffee production and trade in Uganda with the mission of engaging and working with all stakeholders to promote sustainable coffee production to increase the volumes and quality of traded coffee.

At the second “Coffee Day” at Nakanyoyi Coffee Centre in Mukono last October, it was agreed that a Public-Private Sector Partnership was the way to deliver on UCF’s objective was through the rapid multiplication process using tissue culture. Already some large, hi-tech growers have expressed interest in participating and while this can potentially deliver large quantities, there are several challenges involved in putting this framework together. In spite of challenges,  the farmers and the coffee sector need these new disease resistant varieties as soon as possible to reach the targets in coffee volume set for 2015 by the sector. Therefore UCF members have decided to complement the tissue culture initiatives by using Cutting multiplication in order to more quickly produce the tens of millions of seedlings required.

The existing body of expertise, experience and infrastructure within the UCF membership can ensure the success of this program.

UCF has put forward a medium-to-long term program to upgrade and expand existing small private sector multiplication and distribution infrastructure, through the collaboration of its members in a structured program. The program plans to produce and plant over 15 million hardened coffee seedlings over the next five years, and 53 million seedlings over the next 10 years, by traditional cutting multiplication and distribution, using the facilities of UCF members around the country. The program, with a total cost of 2.26 million USD, is projected to increase Uganda’s export earnings from coffee by 1.6 million USD by year five and 97 million USD by year 10.

A Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework is being promoted to enable this project to proceed as quickly and productively as possible. At least half of the UCF members are to participate in the production of about 1,000,000 CWDr seedlings each per year  under the PPP arrangement beginning 2012, by establishing and/or expanding the multiplication infrastructure at their own facilities.

The following are the anticipated complimentary benefits to arise from the program:

• Cutting multiplication is a very well proven method, with predictable genetic outcomes – it is low risk;
• In excess of 15 and 53 million CWDr seedlings will be produced over a five to 10 year period, respectively, and  distributed to 61,000 farmers in 5 years time and 215,000 farmers in 10 years time, through the members’ networks;
• An estimated 0.22 million extra bags of coffee will be produced for export over ten years, generating an estimated export value of 97 million USD;
• The multiplication capacity in the Uganda coffee sub-sector will be permanently expanded by 10 million seedlings per year;
• That multiplication capacity will be geographically distributed across a number of sites, thus mitigating localized risks (climate, disease etc);
• Distributing multiplication to centers around the country will reduce logistics costs and provide farmers with local support and training – supply is brought close to demand;
• The distribution and support network can also be used to distribute tissue culture seedlings from other PPP initiatives;
• A network of new or improved “Coffee Centers of Excellence” will be created throughout Uganda – national coffee quality and income will be driven upwards;
• The network can be used to take on the second, and subsequent, generations of CWDr varieties that NARO is developing.

UCF members will finance a substantial part of the costs of the project through matching strategic partner funds. Many strategic partners have been approached to participate with specific measureable output targets associated with their individual inputs on a proportional basis, or on differing aspects of the program.

Building on the above membership and corporate track record, the program is to prime for a substantial increase in CWDr seedling multiplication facilities within the industry over a 5 year period. These facilities will be sustainable thereafter by the industry itself, and will produce very substantial benefits to national coffee production and quality on an ongoing basis as demands change from disease to weather and so on.