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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Forecast: Dry weather could cut Uganda's coffee output

   * Many coffee growing areas affected

   * Leaves might fall off and cherry may shrivel

Uganda's coffee output and its quality might fall in the next several months due to dry weather prevailing in many growing areas of the east African producer, an industry official said on Wednesday.

   David Muwonge, marketing and production manager of National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) said coffee trees had started to show stress from the drought in most areas.

   Uganda, which primarily cultivates the robusta variety of the beans, is one of Africa's top coffee exporters and the commodity is a key source of foreign exchange for its economy, which is ranked the third biggest in east Africa.

   "In the south and southwestern Uganda the process of bean formation and development is on but some trees are clearly showing stress from persisting drought," Muwonge said.

   Both regions account for 45 percent of the country's total annual production. The state-run Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) forecasts the country will export 3.1 million 60-Kg bags of coffee in the 2010/2011 (Oct-Sep) season.

   "If this drought persists through March definitely these trees will start shedding leaves, some cherries will drop off while others might shrivel or become diseased," he said.

   The drought will also delay flowering in central and eastern parts of the country for the region's next crop. Harvest in both areas is currently winding down, he said.

   Uganda's bean exports fell by 18.6 percent to 215,180 bags in January compared with the same month last year due to the unfavourable weather.

source:  https://portal.hpd.global.reuters.com/