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