Alert over deadly coffee pest outbreak

Rebecca Wangu tends to her coffee plants at Kangocho farm in Mathira on May 28, 2011

Local coffee farmers have been put on high alert over an outbreak of a tiny insect that attacks the cash-crop.

Coffee Research Foundation Monday told growers to monitor and spray their crops should they notice coffee thrips, which cause the leaves to fall-off and in worst case kills the tree.

“Coffee Research Foundation wishes to notify coffee farmers of thrips outbreak in most coffee growing regions which is likely to worsen when the cold season is over,” the advert said.

Symptoms include irregular grey and silvery patches covered by minute black spots on the underside of leaves and berries. The nymphs are small, cigar-shaped and pale yellow in colour. The adults are grey-brown and slightly larger.

“Coffee farmers are advised to perform regular pest surveys on their farms to monitor the thrips population and take appropriate measures. With the effects of global warming, we need to be more alert since these problems are likely to be more frequent,” said the Coffee Research Foundation director, Mr Joseph Kimemia.

The research body said the Green scales infestation was also likely to increase. Its symptoms include rows of flat, oval immovable green insects, especially along the main leaf veins and near the tips of green shoots. Black ants climbing the trees is also an indicator of the disease.

Coffee leaf rust infestation, CRF said, is likely to increase in areas where rains have stopped and farmers should take action if detected.

Coffee growers have been receiving good returns in recent years buoyed by high international coffee prices, weakening of the shilling and shortages in other sources.

Production has, however, not increased much due to poor weather and heavy debts accumulated by some coffee societies over the years.

The government has waived Sh5.8 billion coffee dues owed by farmers and is set to extend this by a further Sh2 billion in this years budget. Last year the sector fetched Sh16 billion though production declined by 22 per cent to 42,000 from 54,000 in 2009.

The insect is the latest threat to coffee farmers who have been dealing with the challenge of increased coffee theft from the factories.