1. Coffee in Nepal: Present situation, opportunities and challenges
Sudhir Shrestha
Senior Coffee and Tea Development Officer,
Coffee and Tea Development Section
Kirtipur

2. Presentation outline Coffee in the world History of coffee
Coffee in Nepal
current situation
opportunities
challenges
Coffee Leaf Rust
Coffee Leaf Rust in Nepal

3. Coffee in the World Global Coffee Production
143.4 millions bags (60 kg) in 2015
worth 216 Bil. USD
Coffee consumption is growing at around 2.5% per yr.
Major Exporters
Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Uganda, Honduras, Peru, Indonesia, India
Major Importers
EU, USA, Japan, Russia, Switzerland

5. Coffee growing regions in the world

7. History of Coffee
coffee is native to Ethiopia and thought to be originated in 9th century and the Ethiopian legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
Kaldi found his goats frolicking and full of energy after eating the red fruit of the coffee shrub. Kaldi tried the fruit for himself and had a similar reaction.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery who made a drink with the berries and discovered that it kept him alert for the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and slowly knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.

8. Coffee in Nepal Coffee does not have a long history in Nepal.
A saint, Hira Giri of Gulmi district bought some seeds from Myanmar and introduced them in Aapchaur of Gulmi in 1938.
Gradually the plantation of coffee started spreading to adjoining districts viz, Palpa, Syangja, Kaski, Baglung and others.
Commercial cultivation started since 1990s.

9. Current situation
Total plantation area 2381 ha. (60,000 ha. potential)
Production 463 MT green bean (demand 5000 MT)
Export 99.8 MT in 2014/15
Exporting countries: Japan, USA, Netherlands, Germany, Korea
Total no. of coffee growing districts 43
Total no. of household involved 30,000

10. Production Areas

12. District-wise Area and Production of Coffee (2014/15)

13. Coffee green bean production in Nepal (2004/05 to 2015/15)
Fiscal Year
Area (ha)
Production Green Bean (MT)
Productivity
(Kg/ha)
2004/05
1078
200
185.5
2005/06
1285
312
242.8
2006/07
1296
270
208.3
2007/08
1450
265
182.7
2008/09
1531
334
218.1
2009/10
1630
419
257.0
2010/11
1752
502
286.5
2011/12
1760
523
297.1
2012/13
1750
457
261.1
2013/14
1911
429
224.5
2014/15
2381
463
194.4

14. Coffee in Nepal: An Opportunity
Climate and soil condition of Mid-hills of Nepal is suitable for growing Arabica coffee. Coffee in Nepal is 100% Arabica.
Opportunity for production of high grown, organic specialty coffee. High international demand.
Participation of small farmer.
domestic market also expanding.

15. Coffee in Nepal: An Opportunity
Rural employment generation through processing industries.
Productivity can be increased upto 1550 kg/ha through proper management, adequate shading and manuring practices (AEC 2006)
can enjoy duty free access for coffee beans under trade preferences for LDCs in all the major coffee importing countries.

16. Coffee in Nepal: Some Challenges
Coffee plantation has been done sporadically, all over mid-hills without pocket area development resulting uneven quality; high cost; delay in pulping; difficulty in organic certification etc.
Production volume very low.
Nepalese coffee is by default organic but not able to export all the product as organic because of the complicated certification process.

17. Coffee in Nepal: Some Challenges
Small farmers are not benefitted with the cash incentive provided by the government to the organic certification and with the value addition due to the certification.
Very inadequate research backup on Coffee.
Very low availability of trained manpower on coffee sector.

18. Coffee Leaf Rust

19. CLR History
It was reported first by a British explorer from regions of Kenya around Lake Victoria in 1861 from where it is believed to have spread to Asia and the Americas. Rust was first reported in the major coffee growing regions of Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon).
1869: Sri Lanka
1870: India
1876: Sumatra
1878: Java
1889: Philippines
1918: Congo
1950s: Ivory Coast and Liberia
1960s: Nigeria and Angola
1970: Brazil
1976: Nicaragua
1980: El Salvador
1981: Guatemala
1983: Costa Rica and Colombia
1986: Jamaica
2015? Nepal

20. Coffee Leaf Rust Is caused by a fungus-Hemileia vastatrix
Coffee leaf rust is considered to be the most severe foliar coffee disease known to date. This may be due to the fact that it led to the abandoning of coffee growing in Sri Lanka.

21. Effect of the disease
The fungus kills the section of the leaves on which it grows.
If the infection is severe this causes premature leaf fall.
The trees ability to produce carbohydrates is then reduced.
Vegetative growth and berry growth and size are then significantly reduced.
The roots and shoots are starved of plant food due to leaf fall and the berries using up the carbohydrates.
This will lead to a reduction in the number of bearing nodes, thus a reduction in crop production for the next crop year.

22. Ideal condition for disease development
Susceptible host plants-Coffea arabica
Host population or plant spacing.– closely spaced plants allow moisture to remain longer on the leaves. The disease will develop slower with wider spacing plants as moisture dries off faster.
High yielding trees which become stressed after heavy nutrient loss to fruit development.
Rainfall provides the moisture needed for germination and later the spread of the rust spores.
Excessive shade which contributes to adequate moisture for the development of the disease.
Temperature range most favorable for the disease development is 21°C to 25°C. However, the general range is between 15°C and 32°C.

23. Disease development
Free water is needed on the leaves for spore germination.
With adequate moisture and temperature spores germinate within 2-4 hours.
Within hours infection process is completed.
The time between infection and development of lesion (incubation period) is 3-6 weeks.
Symptoms are therefore often evident in the dry season.

24. Management
Proper shade regulation: reduce shade cover, increase light in field, do timely pruning of coffee plants.
Maintain fertile soil and hence healthy plants.
Prune coffee trees, remove gormandizer, dead branches and those branches that rest on the ground.
Quarantine

25. Resistant varieties
So far, nine genes for resistance have been identified, mostly derived from C. canephora and C. liberica
Challenge to the breeders: to combine rust resistance with good agronomic characteristics and good quality coffee. ; to deploy these resistant genes in such a way that they are not immediately overcome by new races of rust.
So far, more than 40 different races of H. vastatrix have been identified, with some new ones able to attack previously resistant hybrids.
New rust races continue to appear.

26. CLR Impact
Coffee leaf rust (CLR) is one of the most serious diseases in coffee. Yield losses attributed to CLR are estimated at 40%, although higher losses are recorded when weather conditions favor the disease
When rust struck Colombia in 2008, it spread from farm to farm, cutting the country's coffee output from 12 million bags to 7 million in a single year. The country's economy sputtered. Some farmers—many with less than a single hectare of land—had no crop at all.
The disease has caused $1 billion in damage to coffee plants across Latin America and Caribbean since Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador declared coffee rust as a national emergency in 2013.

27. Global Initiative
Spraying of Bordeaux mixture was introduced in India way back in 1930s.
Establishment of Coffee Rusts Research Center at Oeiras, Portugal in 1955.
Colombia's national coffee research center, Cenicafé, through its rust resistance breeding program released two major coffee cultivars—Colombia (in 1980) and Castillo (2005)
The new hybrid coffee varieties, H1 (Sarchimore x Rume Sudan, a wild-type Arabica variety) and H3 (Caturra x an Ethiopian variety) are being commercialized in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico.
ICO Sponsored Multi Country Project ( ) in India, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda: “Increasing the resilience of Coffee production to leaf rust and other diseases in India and four African countries”

28. CLR in Nepal
Identified first in Thuladurlung VDC of Lalitpur district in April 2015 by CoPP Helvetas team. NARC lab result confirmed Hemileia vastatrix .
Major coffee growing VDCs in Lalitpur which are Chandanpur, Thuladurlung, Gimdi and Ashrang were found affected by the CLR.
The effect of CLR has been confirmed in Kavrepalanchowk, Kaski, Syangja and Sindhupalchok districts.
Symptoms reported from Makawanpur.

29. National initiative
Prepared and distributed poster on CLR management; jointly prepared by CoPP HELVETAS, NTCDB and CTDS with technical support of NARC.
Organized CLR management campaign in Thuladurlung, Lalitpur in April, NTCDB, NARC, CTDS, DADO Lalitpur, CoPP and DCCUL (April, 2015).
Sensitized coffee cooperative managers and chairpersons from 12 districts in CoPP office with the technical support from NARC.

30. National initiative contd....
Formed CLR management working group in the leadership of NTCDB. The members are from CTDS, NARC, PPD, CoPP, DADO Lalitpur, BC and TPSD in June
Organized national level stakeholder meeting at CoPP under the chief guest of DG Dr. Yubak Dhoj GC in Jan Meeting attended by DDG DoA, Director PPD, Director FDD, Chief PPD NARC, Chief CTDS, NTCDB, CoPP HELVETAS, Good Neighbour International, Beautiful Coffee Nepal.

31. Decisions of the meeting
Circular all the DADOs of coffee growing districts by DOA to
prohibit transport of coffee seedlings from diseased area.
emphasize for proper orchard and shade management
include orchard and disease management program in next year's program

32. Decisions of the meeting
As CLR is new for Nepal and no research has been conducted yet, PPD will initiate to invite international expert to Nepal.
CDC, Gulmi will promote the extension and germplasm conservation of CLR resistant cultivars if available.

33. National initiative contd....
Field observation visit in Kaski and Syangja by CTDS, NTCDB and CoPP from Feb
Field visit by NARC team in Thuladurlung from March
Rust awareness trainings organized by NTCDB with financial support by TPSD for concerned DADO chiefs and DCCF chairpersons in 22 Feb at Kathmandu and 24 March at Pokhara.

34. CLR in Lalitpur

35. Lalitpur

36. In nursery

37. Kaski

38. Kaski

39. Kaski

40. Syangja
Bhumijung KC, Karendanda, Putalibazar-13: About 50% plants are infected
Bodhraj Aryal, Mayatari, Putalibazar-13: Well managed orchard under shade infected by coffee leaf rust about (20% plants). The nursery established at Karendada also infected.
Fani Narayan Aryal, Thapathok, Arjun Chaupari-20% of coffee plants infected.
Yam Kumar Aryal, Sumre Khola, Putalibazar-12: Very small spots about 15% plants infected.
Keshab Lamsal, Syangja Bazar, Putalibazar-1: Each and every plant in the orchard had symptom of coffee leaf rust.
Mandira Lamsal, Syangja Bazar, Putalibazar-1: Coffee leaf rust present.
All the orchards visited showed infestation coffee leaf rust including the nurseries.

42. Conclusion
Coffee leaf rust is spreading all over the Nepalese coffee orchard.
Management program should be conducted as campaign.
Internal quarantine should be strictly implemented.
As Nepalese coffee is 100% organic and specialty, no chemical fungicide can be used.

43. Conclusion
Only available measures are training and pruning, proper orchard and shade management and Bordo mixture.
Marginal farmers are unwilling towards orchard management.

44. Thank you!