A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

This production year (October 2008-September 2009), corresponding to 2001 EC 84
,
farmers faced weak yields:
- It is part of coffee nature to give irregular yields: coffee is genetically characterized
by a high/low/medium cycle. Since last year was a high yielding year, this year was a resting
year for coffee. After an overbearing season 85
, trees can die drying from the top (yellow
leaves) if nutrient are not provided to those. This disease called die-back and CBD (Coffee
Berry Disease) are the main threatens for coffee growers.
- Agricultural practices: Such character of coffee is “give me and I will give you”
(Limu Kosa WARDO expert). When the productive year is a low yielding season, farmers
consequently minimize the management and don’t fertilize as recommended.
- Climate conditions: The most spread cause claimed by Ethiopian authorities as the
ECX president to explain why Ethiopian production decreases is drought. Rains of 2000 EC
are accused to not have felt regularly, causing a low 2001 EC production.
Once ten to fifteen years, when coffee prices fall, producers neglect their trees, and
some uproot those. Nowadays, world coffee prices are rising and Limu Kosa households plant
more and more coffee trees, even in grazing land (Limu Inara Farmers Multi-Purpose
Cooperative Union president, 28 th May 2009).
84 The production year is the harvesting year, and not the coffee growing year: For example, coffee fruit grew
from February to October 2008, gets picked between October 2008 and February 2009, and is finally dry
processed in hulleries between February and August 2009. This coffee corresponds to the coffee year 2009, that
means to the processing and selling year. This is, in the Ethiopian calendar, the 2001 EC coffee year.
85 Overbearing happens when the leaf ratio exceeds eight to nine berries per leave. Due to overproduction leaves
turn yellow and the tree progressively dries from its periphery up to its trunk, and then dies. This could be
prevented if the tree gets artificially fertilized (Suntu State Farm manager, 2 nd September 2009).
103