Kampala, Uganda, Jan. 16 - Uganda's coffee exports are expected to hit 4 million 60-kilogram bags by 2012 due to ongoing plans to boost productivity, state media reported Wednesday.
The New Vision quoted Clive Drew, managing director of the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded agricultural productivity enhancement program in Uganda, as saying the country has the capacity to attain a 100% increase in volume and value if the government invests in research and provides farmers with subsidized inputs.
The USAID campaign was launched Tuesday in Mukono district, the leading coffee producing district in Uganda's central region, and is being promoted by the state-run Uganda Coffee Development Authority, or UCDA, the Coffee Research Center and coffee exporters.
Last year, Henry Ngabirano, managing director of UCDA said efforts are underway to boost coffee yields to 0.75 kilograms a tree from the current 0.25 kilograms/tree.
Currently, UCDA is spearheading a nationwide coffee replanting program to boost output to 4.5 million bags by 2015. Uganda exported around 3.6 million bags during the 1996-97 season, but since then output has seen a downward trend and only reached 2 million bags during 2005-06. Output picked last season, reaching 2.7 million bags due to favorable weather and the replanting program.
According to UCDA, Coffee Wilt disease has since been contained. The disease is blamed for the destruction of over 50% of the country's robusta coffee trees between 1993-2006.
According to Ngabirano, over 300 million wilt-resistant robusta trees have since been planted and some have started output. The Coffee Research Institute continues to produce improved low land arabica coffee and wilt-resistant robusta seedlings for farmers.
Uganda is Africa's leading robusta coffee producer. Output in 2007-08 (October-September) is seen at 2.8 million bags.