The Director of Research at the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) Dr. Geoffrey Arinaitwe has assured Members of Parliament sitting on the parliamentary committee of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries that the institute has so far developed ten lines of modern coffee varieties which are high yielding, resistant to the climate change conditions, pests and diseases.
The legislators had made an oversight visit to NaCORI located at Kituuza village, in Ntenjeru-Kisoga Town Council, Mukono district. The legislators held an interaction with private coffee nursery operators, coffee research scientists, NaCORI staff and volunteers.
They were on a mission to establish levels reached and components needed for enhancement of coffee production in the country, and they were conducted around tissue culture facilities, handling of mini cuttings and seedlings, and value addition ventures.
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Dr. Arinaitwe told them that more than 30 years of research have yielded the development of new Arabica Coffee varieties ranging from KR line one-ten which are high yielding.
“For your information, the scientists have not stopped with their research, we want them to keep producing new varieties as far as KR15, and each line which is developed comes with better advantages than earlier ones,” he said.
He added that in order for these new KR varieties to give better results, a farmer must plant a range of them, at least three to five lines.
Arinaitwe identified a number of challenges affecting their research work ranging from inadequate number of scientists, unreliable power supply and limited funds.
“As the scientists embark on a certain research in our laboratories, any single power disconnection affects the entire process even when it is about to reach its conclusion. And if that happens, it means that millions that would have been injected into that single research go to waste,” he said.
He therefore noted that in order to avoid losses, they currently rely on a standby generator which consumes 10 liters of fuel per hour, adding that it’s so expensive to maintain.
While giving his remarks, the chairperson of the Advisory Committee of NaCORI, Assoc. Prof. Yazid Bamutaze disclosed that the country’s coffee production level remains far below President Museveni’s required export target of 20 million bags annually, adding that the current rate stands at only eight million bags.
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Prof. Bamutaze charged the committee members with the responsibility to address the issues pertaining to enhancing quality and quantity of coffee production, saying, “as MPs, you know what needs to be done to address the issue of raising quality and quantity of coffee production; let us join hands to ensure that what we have begun today continues to help us champion the cause.”
He however expressed dismay that in some parts of the country, political intervention is affecting the quality of coffee produced or its quantity.
In his closing remarks, NARO Deputy Director General, Dr. Kassim Sadik pointed out that widening adaptability of coffee production in as many regions of the country as possible is one way of enhancing coffee production levels.
Dr. Sadik also observed that NaCORI is developing market-related information with human resource development as an adequate issue.
The parliamentary committee chairperson, who is the Lira Woman MP, Linda Auma said they were impressed by NaCORI’s new coffee varieties, adding that this is testimony that they are not sleeping in the cause to step up quality and quantity of coffee production in the country.
Auma implored private coffee nursery operators to stop selling substandard coffee varieties which are prone to coffee pests and diseases to farmers but liaise with NaCORI for the improved varieties.
She dismissed claims that coffee cannot flourish in Northern Uganda, and added that what is missing is farmer sensitization on best practices in planting.
She advised NaCORI to take advisory services to rural farmers who do not have the capacity to travel to Kituuza in Mukono district for best and improved seedlings and also the technical knowledge.
Luuka Woman Member of Parliament, Esther Mbayo stressed the importance of intensification of research by scientists to generate capacity to supply even Kenyan farmers whom she said do not have adequate planting materials, saying this is bound to create revenue for the country.
Mbayo added that according to President Museveni, a total of 200 metric tonnes per year is needed, and challenged researchers to conduct more research on good varieties towards realization of this.
And Bukomansimbi Woman MP, Veronica Nanyondo suggested that since the government injects more funds in coffee production research, farmers should be supplied with good varieties to avoid wasting taxpayers’ money spent in research which is not maximally utilized.
“Farmers in villages are looking for good varieties but do not know where to find them, and since they are abundant here, NaCORI and NARO should take them to the rural farmers who need them,” she suggested.