Weaning and hardening of coffee tissue culture plantlets Possible role of Xclusive Cuttings in Uganda’s Robusta replanting campaign Peter Benders Director Xclusive Cuttings Uganda Coffee Day 2011 Rapid 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

Contribute to the coffee replanting campaign by delivering 200 million high quality coffee seedlings to Uganda’s coffee farmers Vision of Xclusive Cuttings

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 – production phases

 2024: All planted trees in full production Replanting campaign – time frame PhaseYearsProduction (# plants/yr) Other I2012/131 millionSourcing funding II20145 millionBuilding of TC and greenhouse capacity III millionAdditional building of TC and greenhouse capacity IV million- TOTAL million-

Weaning and hardening units:  20 hectares of greenhouses  160 times larger than Nakanyonyi nursery Employees: full time staff Logistics:  25 refrigerated trucks (20-40 foot)  Daily distribution up-country in April-May & September-October Acreage planted: ha per year Farmers: trees Replanting campaign – size

Replanting campaign - costs Investment and production costs of TC phase: ? Investment cost for Xclusive Cuttings: $ million Production cost for 226 million plants (weaning to delivery): $ 61 million Cost per plant (weaning to delivery): $ 0.27 or UGX => Need for 50% subsidy in order to sell at current market price

Current annual Robusta export value: $ 272 million (Sep 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 Financial benefits for Uganda

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) Possible bottlenecks

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) Conclusion

Visualizing the project - I

Visualizing the project - II

Visualizing the project - III

Visualizing the project - IV

Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for your attention. I would like to open the floor for questions and discussion