Coffee Agronomist John Chege has urged coffee farmers to leverage on the dry months of January and February to carry out some vital practices to ensure increased cherry production throughout the year.
Speaking during a farmers' education day at Marumi Cooperative Coffee Society in Kigumo, Chege noted that some practices like cycle renewing, correct pruning, soil testing and foliar application would certainly increase the production.
He urged farmers to shun incorrect practices that not only destroyed the bushes but also affected productivity, leading to low prices at the coffee auction and less earnings for the farmer. "After harvesting in October, November and December, farmers are supposed to carry out pruning to increase production so as to reduce the habitat of pests and diseases," he said.
He said timely pruning of the coffee bushes also allowed sunlight penetration that acts as a catalyst for flowering because bushes that are in the shade do not flower well, leading to low production.
