Five improved Arabica coffee hybrids which have been developed by the Lyamungo Coffee Research Institute are to be distributed to coffee growers around the country. Officiating at the climax of the Northern Zone Coffee Farmers Open Day on July 16, attended by 500 farmers, Deputy Minister for Agriculture Prof. Pius Mbawala directed the institute to speed up the distribution of the hybrids to farmers. One of the major constraints to productivity and growth of the coffee industry had been the continued cultivation of old varieties that were low yielding and highly vulnerable to disease, he said. “The salient features of these samples include the required high yield, disease resistance as well as large bean size and good cup quality,” Prof. Mbawala explained. Each of the new varieties boasts resistance to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf Diseases (CLR). They should reduce costs of production by up to 50%
Chairman of the Board Directors of the Institute, Edwin Mtei, said the formal pre-release of the five improved Arabica varieties would not have been possible without the generous support of the European Union (EU) – Guardian.