Weaning and hardening of coffee tissue culture plantlets

Possible role of Xclusive Cuttings in Uganda’s Robusta replanting

campaign

Peter BendersDirector Xclusive Cuttings

Uganda 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

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

Phase Years Production (# plants/yr)

Other

I 2012/13 1 million Sourcing funding

II 2014 5 million Building of TC and greenhouse capacity

III 2015 20 million Additional building of TC and greenhouse capacity

IV 2016-2020 40 million -

TOTAL

2012-2020 226 million -

• 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 – size

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

• 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

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