Crop scientists have selected 24 new wilt resistant coffee varieties with enhanced bacterial resistance for testing in Uganda.
The varieties have been put under observation at Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd's Nakanyonyi project in Mukono.
Angelo Mukasa, the Nakanyonyi project supervisor, says the project has been tasked to screen and identify 8 varieties that will be distributed to the coffee farmers
// Cue in: the scientists #
Cue out:# may in future. //
Uganda's Robusta coffee exports have declined over the past 10 years mainly because of the coffee wilt disease which has wiped out close to 60% of all Robusta trees.
Clive Drew, is the chief of party, United States Aid for International Development's (USAID) Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Program (APEP).
Clive says there is an urgent need for about 200 million coffee seedlings to replace the coffee trees that were destroyed by the coffee wilt disease
// Cue in: it really devastated Uganda #
Cue out# get Uganda Going again. //
Statistics from the Uganda Coffee development Authority (UCDA), show that Uganda has been losing up to 54 billion shillings per annum due to the coffee wilt disease.
