Sironko district declared coffee rust disease free

By; Weswa Ronnie 

Sironko district has officially been declared free from coffee leaf rust disease.

Coffee leaf rust disease a multicellular basidiomycete fungi of the order puncciniales that cause coffee leaf rust, the disease affects coffee plants .

People from the Bugisu Sub Region are well known for growing coffee as their main Cash crop which helps them to boast their income.

Last year in November Coffee leaf rust disease hit Sironko district leaving many farmers counting losses.

The most affected sub counties were Bukisa , Masaba , Bumalimba Buhugu and Bumasifwa.

According to Francis Nabugodi the Sironko district agriculture officer told our reporter this morning on Wednesday that although Ministry of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Fisheries didn’t given them chemicals to supply to farmers, they used extension workers to sensitize farmers on how to prevent this disease.

He says that those extension workers also were recommending farmers on chemicals to buy and taught them how to spray.

Nabugodi says that currently the district is free from disease urging farmers to report to his office or extension workers in case they see any other suspected diseases on their coffee.

Sam Wadaba and Peace Kwaga all coffee farmers from Masaba Sub County expressed their happiness with this information saying last year they lost over 5 million in coffee for not yielding well due to coffee leaf rust disease.

Sunday Wojega also a farmer from Bukise sub county urged the district and Ministry of Agriculture next time to provide chemicals to farmers in case of any disease out break .