Dubai January 18, 2024(QW):In a significant stride towards achieving Uganda’s ambitious coffee production targets, World Coffee Research (WCR), in collaboration with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the Uganda National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI), has been actively working on enhancing the country’s nursery and seed sector. The concerted effort aims to quadruple coffee production to 20 million bags by 2030, as outlined in Uganda’s Coffee Roadmap.

Over the past year, various initiatives have been undertaken, including the publication of open-access, localized training materials, workshops for nursery operators, evaluation and cleanup of seed lots, and the distribution of high-quality C. arabica and C. robusta seedlings across growing regions in Uganda.

Robert Adomati, UGACOF Field Officer, highlights the impact of supplying quality planting materials, stating, “increasing productivity, easing the accessibility of high-yielding varieties, and improving farmer incomes.”

The collaboration focuses on transforming Uganda’s coffee sector to benefit approximately 1.5 million households engaged in sustainable coffee farming. It aligns with the nine key initiatives of the Coffee Roadmap, with a goal to increase yields by 3-4 times compared to 2019-21 productivity rates and expand production land by 20%.

One of the primary challenges addressed is the mass propagation of improved planting material and seedling distribution. Uganda, a major producer and exporter of robusta coffee, faces hurdles in this process. WCR, in partnership with UCDA, is working to strengthen local nurseries to supply improved varieties, including 10 Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD)-resistant clonal lines, commercially released as NARO Kituza Robusta (KR) 1-10.

Funded by Strauss Coffee B.V. and WCR member companies globally, the project aims to deliver 100,000 healthy KR plants to farmers. In collaboration with UGACOF/Sucafina, nearly 50,000 KR plants have already been supplied to farmers in the Greater Masaka region, supporting the establishment of profitable and self-sustaining nurseries managed by coffee farmers.

Sjaak De Bloois, Head of Sustainability & Agronomy for UGACOF, expressed pride in the quick results of the partnership, with the remaining 50,000 plants set to be supplied in 2024. These farmers will also receive support for UCDA certification, ensuring compliance with local regulatory standards.

Furthermore, WCR, UCDA, and NaCORI are actively optimizing Uganda’s ability to propagate and grow robusta varieties. Training sessions for nursery operators and UCDA extension officers, along with the release of open-access educational resources, demonstrate a commitment to improving skills and knowledge in robusta nursery establishment and management.

Dr. Gerald Kyalo, Director of Agricultural Development Services for UCDA, emphasized the positive impact of the training sessions, stating, “The nursery training has contributed significantly to improving the skills of operators in the Masaka region, hence improving the quality of planting material being multiplied and sold to farmers.”

With these concerted efforts, Uganda is poised to not only meet but exceed its coffee production goals, ensuring sustainable growth for the coffee sector and the livelihoods of millions of Ugandan coffee farmers.