BRIEFS: Agriculture

Coffee regions stave off bevy of diseases

Flor BocharelLA PRENSA

coffee picking in chiriquí1101202

Heavy rains and high humidity in coffee-growing areas of Chiriquí have opened the door to a score of plant diseases, namely “la rolla” and Cercospora leaf spot, said Henry Ledezma, director of the Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (Mida).

Ledezma said that, in spite of the high incidence of diseases affecting local plantations, this year’s harvest was a success, with a reported 10,700 hectares of coffee berries collected, nearly 700 more hectares than the previous cycle.

Mida officials attempted to reassure coffee growers that the diseases were under control, but some farmers like Tessie Palacios de Harttmann, who grows coffee in Santa Clara, felt that this year’s crop may suffer a 10 percent decrease in overall yields because of the appearance of the wilts and molds.

In addition to climatic factors, mounting costs of fertilizer and insecticides deterred some small growers from tending properly to their crop, another factor that could contribute to smaller harvests, said Palacios.

Technical staff with the Sanidad Vegetal department of Mida are working with coffee producers to implement effective disease control measures to contain the affected areas.

Last month marked the beginning of the coffee berry picking season, particularly in the fertile agricultural regions of Río Sereno, Piedra Candela, Santa Clara, the district of Renacimiento and the Volcán area.