Xclusive Cuttings: Enabling Coffee Replanting in Uganda
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Presentation Transcript
Weaning and hardening of coffee tissue culture plantletsPossible role of Xclusive Cuttings in Uganda’s Robusta replanting campaignPeter BendersDirector Xclusive CuttingsUganda Coffee Day 2011Rapid Multiplication of the 7 CWD resistant Lines
This presentation • Xclusive Cuttings • Background • Impression of current operations • Possible role in Replanting campaign • Production steps • Time frame • Size • Finances • Bottle necks • Conclusions / Way forward • Movies to visualize vision
Background on Xclusive Cuttings • Floriculture farm that propagates flower cuttings • Since 2003 • Location: 10 km off Gayaza road • 50 ha land – 5,5 ha greenhouses • > 100 million cuttings per year • > 250 staff • Experience Director • 19 years in propagation of cuttings • 15 years in Uganda
Impression of Xclusive Cuttings • 11 green houses with latest technologies • 5,5 hectares of Chrysanthemum & Kalanchoe cuttings
Impression of Xclusive Cuttings All irrigation water is disinfected with active chlorine • 6 storage tanks for irrigation water of different compositions fertilisers
Impression of Xclusive Cuttings • Use of ‘fertigation’ in all green houses • i.e. fertiliser mixed in irrigation water • Mixing of fertigation water & climate control in greenhouses is computer controlled
Impression of Xclusive Cuttings • Individual pumps for 6 levels of fertigation water • Fertigation system in green houses
Why an interest in coffee? Xclusive Cuttings • 2006/7 – Concept note for USAID/APEP on multiplication of 40 million tissue culture plants per year • 2011 – Contacts with UCDA Personal • Contribution to improving livelihoods of Uganda’s farmers • Enjoy technical challenge
Vision of Xclusive Cuttings Contribute to the coffee replanting campaign by delivering 200 million high quality coffee seedlings to Uganda’s coffee farmers
Replanting campaign – production phases Phase 1: Large-scale multiplication of the seven varieties through tissue culture (8 months) Phase 2: Large-scale weaning and hardening of the TC plants in greenhouse (9 months) Phase 3: Distribution throughout the country Phase 4: Buying and planting by farmers
Replanting campaign – time frame • 2024: All planted trees in full production
Replanting campaign – size • Weaning and hardening units: • 20 hectares of greenhouses • 160 times larger than Nakanyonyi nursery • Employees: 350-400 full time staff • Logistics: • 25 refrigerated trucks (20-40 foot) • Daily distribution up-country in April-May & September-October • Acreage planted: 36.000 ha per year • Farmers: 1.3 million @ 175 trees
Replanting campaign - costs • Investment and production costs of TC phase: ? • Investment cost for Xclusive Cuttings: $ 13-16 million • Production cost for 226 million plants (weaning to delivery): $ 61 million • Cost per plant (weaning to delivery): $ 0.27 or 750-800 UGX => Need for 50% subsidy in order to sell at current market price
Financial benefits for Uganda • Current annual Robusta export value: $ 272 million (Sep 2010 - Aug 2011) ≈ 10% national budget • Estimated additional annual Robusta export value (200 million productive trees): $ 300 million per year • Replanting campaign doubles • Contribution of coffee to national budget • Income of coffee farmers
Possible bottlenecks • Funding requirements • Rules/regulations of government and donors • Possible project politics vs. Xclusive ethics • Logistical operations and distribution of plants to farmers • Collection of farmer payment for plants • Possible corruption (distribution and cash collection)
Conclusion • At technical level a professional challenge, but achievable • Main challenges: political & logistics up-country • Major impact from farmer to national economy of Uganda => PROJECT SHOULD HAVE STARTED YESTERDAY (or better 5 years ago)
Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for your attention. I would like to open the floor for questions and discussion